Date & Time:
Jun 3, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.70
Operator:
Registration:
D-UZON
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Dresden – Berlin
MSN:
907
YOM:
1935
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
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.
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.
