Germany

Operator:

Registration:

42-93041

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Site:

Schedule:

Bovingdon - Schleissheim

MSN:

12909

YOM:

1944

Location:

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The crew was flying on autopilot under the cloud layer when the weather conditions worsened. The captain decided to gain height and increased engine power to do so. Shortly later, while climbing in clouds, the aircraft hit the slope of a hill and crashed in a dense wooded area. All four crew members and 22 passengers were killed while four others were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

It appears the crew was not aware of the mountains and different obstacles in the region and the visibility was reduced at the time of the accident. Also, inefficient weather briefing on part of the local weather station may have been considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman in Würzburg

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Noorduyn Norseman

Operator:

Registration:

44-70257

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Site:

MSN:

522

YOM:

1944

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Enroute, the engine failed, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing in a field. While the aircraft crashed and was destroyed, the pilot was unhurt.

Probable cause:

It appears the engine failed due to fuel starvation.

Crash of a Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman near Göppingen: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Noorduyn Norseman

Operator:

Registration:

44-70394

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

659

YOM:

1944

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Crashed 10 km south of Göppingen. The pilot Robert T. Rose was killed in the crash.

Crash of a Focke-Wulf Fw.200KB-1 Condor in Piesenkofen: 25 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1945 at 2205 LT

Type of aircraft:

Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor

Operator:

Registration:

D-ASHH

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Berlin – Munich – Barcelona

MSN:

0009

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Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft named 'Hessen' departed Berlin-Tempelhof Airport at 2025LT bound for Barcelona with an intermediate stop in Munich. At 2150LT, the captain informed Munich he was overflying Straubing and initiated the descent. About ten minutes later, due to poor weather conditions (clouds, thunderstorm activity and turbulences), the captain radioed that he was continuing directly to Barcelona. Five minutes later, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion in a field located 500 metres north of Piesenkofen. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 25 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The engine number one caught fire and exploded in flight, causing the aircraft to be out of control.

Crash of a Junkers JU.352 Herkules in Börnersdorf: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1945 at 0600 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.352 Herkules

Operator:

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Schedule:

Berlin – Prague

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At 0600LT, while overflying Saxony, the three engine aircraft crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Börnersdorf. A crew member was rescued while eight others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-5-DK near Bonn: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

43-48589

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Le Culot – Fritzlar

MSN:

25850/14405

YOM:

1944

Location:

Bonn

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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Crashed in unknown circumstances near Bonn while on a supply mission from Le Culot ALG to Fritzlar AFB. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
T/Sgt Cecil F. Allen;
Pfc Harry V. Dailey,
Cpl Claude King Jr.,
1st Lt William B. Lustig,
2nd Lt Ralph M. Nathan.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Steinreich: 18 killed

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

D-ANAJ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Berlin – Prague – Vienna – Munich

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Circumstances:

The three engine aircraft left Berlin-Tempelhof in the evening on a flight to Munich with intermediate stops in Prague and Vienna. While cruising about 60 km south of Berlin, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Soviet fighter and crashed in flames in a field located in Steinreich. Two passengers were seriously injured while 18 other occupants were killed, among them the German filmmaker Hans Steinhoff. This was the last flight for Lufthansa from Berlin before the end of the WWII.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the pilot of a Soviet fighter.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-10-DK near Koblenz: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-92741

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

12575

YOM:

1944

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Crashed in unknown circumstances 8 km east of Koblenz, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
T/Sgt Culver W. Alderman,
S/Sgt Fred W. Ashmankas,
2nd Lt John Michael. Darosz,
1st Lt Frank Yakos.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-DL in Bad Langensalza ALG: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

43-30728

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors:

Site: