Accident Sequence
During a low-level navigation exercise conducted as part of an initial air force pilot training course, an airplane assigned to the German Air Force (GAF) collided with terrain. The airplane was almost completely destroyed by a postcrash fire. The flight syllabus required the route to be flown at an altitude of 500 feet above ground level (agl).
Witness Observations
A second airplane, carrying two GAF instructor pilots, departed immediately after the accident airplane. The instructors initially flew north of the standard route before turning south to intercept it, at an altitude of approximately 1,500 feet agl. As they turned south, they observed the accident airplane proceeding on a southeasterly course. Both instructors reported looking down at the other airplane and estimated its altitude to be between 500 and 700 feet agl. They stated that the accident airplane was in straight and level flight on a southeasterly heading.
As the accident airplane crossed a ridge, it transitioned from straight and level flight to a bank of 30 to 40 degrees. The bank angle appeared to increase to 60 degrees and continued to 135 degrees as the nose dropped. The instructor in the left seat characterized the maneuver as abrupt but noted nothing that could account for it. He observed no obstacles to avoid, no smoke or flames from the airplane prior to impact, and no items falling from the airplane. Weather conditions were clear with no turbulence.
Wreckage and Impact Examination
The airplane came to rest in an upright position. Vegetation ranging from 3 to 20 feet in height, located within 5 to 30 feet both behind and in front of the wreckage, was scorched but undamaged. Examination of the wreckage and ground scars revealed that the airplane impacted the hillside in an attitude level with the slope and with a large vertical energy vector. Pieces of airframe and debris found outside the charred areas exhibited no soot or discoloration. Control continuity was established from the control surfaces to the thermally destroyed cabin area. No evidence of a catastrophic engine malfunction was found.