Wrocław

On 14 July, 2011 ATR 72 flight crew after landing at EPWA aerodrome received the clearance for taxiing to parking stand 41 via taxiways: "S", "O" and "M". When the airplane was on taxiway "M2", "Mulag" type tractor was moving by the service road, passing perpendicularly to taxiway “M2”. The tractor driver did not give the right of way to ATR 72 and the tractor collided with the airplane. As a result, the airplane and the tractor sustained substantial damages. The flight crew stopped the airplane and shut down the engines. Airport Fire Brigade and an ambulance were called. The tractor operator suffered some injuries and was taken to hospital. the airplane passengers and the flight crew did not suffer any injuries. The impact caused a fuel leakage from the airplane of 200 m2 in area, which was removed along with other elements of the damaged aircraft by the Airport Fire Brigade. The airplane and the "Mulag" tractor were withdrawn from the further service. During the accident there were adverse weather conditions at the airport - heavy rain and lightning which caused reduction in visibility.

Flight LO149 was a scheduled domestic flight from Warsaw to Wrocław. It took off from Warsaw at 1635 hours local time carrying a crew of 4 and 44 passengers. The flight was uneventful and about 10 minutes before reaching the Wrocław non-directional radio beacon, it was cleared by the Area Control Centre to descend from its cruising altitude of 4 500 m to 1 500 m and instructed to contact the Wrocław Control Zone. The Control Zone cleared the flight to 1 500 m, requested it to report when passing over the NDB - ETA 1722 hours - and gave it the latest weather information for Wrocław as being: cloud base 150 m, visibility 1600 m in light fog, wind 3000 to 310013 to 4 mfsec, QFE 765.5 mm. Hg. The altimeters were set at the correct setting and after having reported over the NDB the flight, which was descending towards the outer locator, was warned by the Control Zone that the visibility had deteriorated to 800 m, i.e. 300 m below the minimum authorized for landing at Wrocław Airport. However, the pilot continued to descend in the direction of the outer locator. At an altitude of 90 m the pilot-in-command ordered a reduction of engine power and flew over the outer locator at an altitude of 50 to 60 m instead of the prescribed 225 m. He reported over the outer locator and shortly thereafter was advised that the visibility had further deteriorated to 400 m and that fog had appeared. In spite of this information the pilot continued his approach and informed the Control Zone that he would try to land. After passing the outer locator the rate of descent of the aircraft was probably established at approximately 3 to 5 m/sec and the last altitude reported by the flight engineer was 30 m. Seven hundred metres beyond the outer locator the aircraft was levelled qff at a height of 10 m and both wings cut the tops of some trees. As a result of the impact part of the right wing (3 m long) and of its aileron were torn off from the aircraft and the aircraft went into a 400 bank to the right. Approximately 145 m from the point of contact with the trees, the right wing came into contact with the ground and left a trace 41 m long. The aircraft was then momentarily straightened up but the right wing dropped again, contacted the ground again and was further damaged. At approximately 350 m from the point of initial contact with the trees, the aircraft, still banked to the right, struck two 30 000 volt power lines breaking all six electric cables with its fuselage and left wing. It then flew over 5 railway tracks and struck with its right wing the five overhead electric traction cables as well as 25 wires of the railway signalling equipment located 60 cm above the ground. All cables and wires were broken and the right wing of the aircraft became entangled in the wires. This reduced the speed of the aircraft and straightened it up, but the angle strut of the right landing gear was damaged and the right landing gear folded backwards. After having travelled a short distance nearly level, with the left landing gear rolling on the ground, the nose gear and right propeller became detached and the aircraft turned slightly to the right, 141 m farther on the left landing gear struck a road embankment 70 cm high and immediately thereafter the aircraft struck a steel electric light pole on the road and bent it to the ground. The aircraft then made a 180° turn and came to a stop on the road at a point located 3.5 km before the threshold of the runway and nearly on the extended centre line of the runway. The accident occurred at 1730 hours.

The flight was a non-scheduled international IFR flight from Lille, France to Wroclaw, Poland. The aircraft took off from Lille at 1240 hours GMT and was cleared to climb to FL 160 on a heading to "Silly". At 1242 hours the pilot contacted Brussels ACC and reported he was at 3 000 ft still climbing and estimating "Silly" at 1249 hours. At 1253 hours he reported over "Silly" at FL 120, and was cleared to climb and maintain FL 130. At 1254 hours the pilot called Brussels and reported he was at FL 130 and estimating "Gatta" at 1300 hours. Five minutes later he reported over "Silly" at FL 130 and estimating "Olno" at 1310 hours. As this was the second time the pilot mentioned "Silly" the radar controller checked his position and confirmed that the aircraft was in fact over "Gatta". At 1300 hours the radar controller directed his attention to Caravelle F-BJTQ which, after passing "Gatta" at 1256 hours on airway "Green One", was cleared to make a right turn on Luxembourg but requested permission to make a detour to avoid an area of intense storm activity. At 1311 hours Brussels ACC has no news of the Viscount which by then should have reported reaching "Olno". Attempts to make radio contact with the aircraft were unsuccessful, and no echo appeared on the radar scope in the vicinity of "Olno". No distress signal was recorded. While in cruising flight the aircraft had entered an area of bad weather, lost altitude and disintegrated in flight before crashing to the ground at 1308 hours GMT. All four crew members were killed.

The crew was on his way from Chaplinka, in the region of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, to Berlin, to attend the funeral of the German aviator and aircraft engineer and manufacturer Ernst Udet who passed away (committed suicide) on November 17. En route, the left engine failed and the pilot decided to divert to Wrocław (Breslau) Airport. On approach, the right engine failed as well. The aircraft stalled and crashed in a field. Two crew members were rescued while three others were killed, among them Colonel Werner Mölders and Lieutenant Georg Kolbe.

The single engine aircraft was on its way from Gleiwitz (Gliwice) to Breslau (Wrocław), carrying three passengers and one pilot. En route, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds and lost his orientation. While flying at low height, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a dense wooded area located in Křemenáč, near the Polish border. The pilot F. Weghuberem was killed while all three passengers were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

On final approach to Breslau Airport (now Wrocław), the pilot-in-command completed a last turn when control was lost. The airplane crashed short of runway and was destroyed. All three occupants were killed.
Crew:
Mr. Hannappel, pilot,
Mr. Pätzeld, mechanic and radio operator.

The single engine airplane departed Böblingen on a flight to Breslau (now Wrocław), carrying three passengers and four crew members. En route, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility due to heavy snow falls. Too low, the airplane impacted trees and crashed in a hilly and wooded terrain. The wreckage was found four days later, on May 3. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lt Col Walter Braun,
Flt/Inst Hermann Sacht,
Airman Franz Heinisch,
Airman Otto Deichmann.
Passengers:
Gen Maj Heinz Höring,
Mrs. Tony Höring,
Mrs. Hanna Höring.

The single engine airplane departed Breslau-Gandau Airport on a flight to Berlin, carrying various radio equipment. The pilot Wilhelm Przibilla, owner of the company, was sole on board. En route, he encountered technical problems when the impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area located in Barschau (now Barszów), near Polkowice. The pilot was killed.