Germany | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Shortly after takeoff from Dresden-Klotzsche Airport, while in initial climb, the airplane banked left, lost height and crashed in a field just past the runway end. Both occupants were killed, among them General Walther Wever, Chief of Staff of the Air Force of the Wehrmarcht, and his flight engineer. He was en route to Berlin to take part to the funeral of the General Karl Litzmann who passed away at the end of May.
Crew:
Gen Walther Wever, pilot,
Cpl Kraus, flight engineer.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was the consequence of a crew error. General Walther Wever, pilot, arrived at the airport in a hurry following a conference and elected to take off quickly for Berlin. Doing so, he failed to prepare the airplane properly and forgot to unlock the pins that were used to lock the ailerons before departure, making the plane uncontrollable.

Crash of a Junkers G.31fo in Germany

Date & Time: May 31, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Junkers G.31

Operator:

Registration:

D-ABIL

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Government

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

3008

YOM:

1928

Location:

Country:

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Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

In unknown circumstances, the Junkers G.31fo registered D-ABIL collided with a Junkers JU.52/3m registered D-APUT, somewhere over Germany (exact place unknown). It seems that the JU52 was able to land safely while the JU31 crashed. The occupant fate remains unknown as well as the exact date of the occurrence, somewhere in May 1936.

Crash of a Messerschmitt M.20b in Kiel

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Messerschmitt M.20

Operator:

Registration:

D-UNAH

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

540

YOM:

1931

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane suffered an accident at Kiel Airport. There were no casualties. The airplane named 'Odenwald' was first registered D-2005 then later D-UNAH.

Crash of a Junkers W.34 in Bad Staffelstein: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Junkers W.34

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a flight within Germany with four passengers and one pilot on behalf of the 3rd Squadron based in Giebelstadt AFB, near Würzburg. While flying at low height, the aircraft impacted the slope of Mt Staffelberg (539 metres high) located south of Bad Staffelstein, Bavaria. The pilot and one passenger were killed while three passenger were seriously injured. In the evening, one of the survivor died from his injuries and another passenger passed away three days later. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor due to foggy conditions.
Crew:
Cpt Wolf Freiherr von Gültlingen.
Passengers:
Lt Rudolf Scharnier,
2nd Lt Peter Zapf,
Lt Karl Hermann Kurt von Plüskow +1.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52 in Sassnitz: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1935

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

33+F23

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Location:

Sassnitz

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. All seven occupants were killed. Registration 33+F23 to be confirmed.

Crash of a Dornier DO.18A off Dahme: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1935

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO.18

Operator:

Registration:

D-AHIS

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Travemünde - Travemünde

MSN:

253

YOM:

1935

Location:

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Circumstances:

The float plane named 'Monsun' was engaged in a local test flight out from Travemünde, carrying five engineers and pilots. While completing high speed tests at low height, the airplane impacted the water surface and crashed into the Baltic Sea off Dahme, some 33 km northeast of Travemünde. Three occupants were killed while two other were seriously injured.
Crew:
Obfm Carl Wiencke, †
Erwin Menebrocker, †
Bf Gerhard Krönke, †
FF Otto Brix,
Walter Körnchen.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth near Dresden

Date & Time: Oct 31, 1935

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth

Operator:

Registration:

D-EGEQ

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

2068

YOM:

1930

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

While flying in poor weather conditions, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a wheat field and was damaged beyond repair. The pilot evacuated safely.

Crash of a Junkers F.13ci in Berlin: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1935 at 1700 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers F.13

Operator:

Erich Klutke

Registration:

D-OKOP

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Berlin - Berlin

MSN:

726

YOM:

1924

Location:

Berlin

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed Berlin-Staaken on a sightseeing flight over the city of Berlin. In unknown circumstances, the plane crashed in the district of Neukölln, east of Tempelhof Airport. Five passengers were injured and two other occupants were killed, the pilot and a passenger.