No fatalities

Aircraft ground excursion following wing strike during landing (856)

Dessau, GermanyLanding (descent or approach)

On May 31, 1960, an Antonov AN-2 (registration 856) operated by East German Air Force - Luftstreitkräfte der Nationalen Volksarmee (LSK) was involved in an aviation accident near Dessau, Germany during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft's right wing struck the runway during touchdown, causing it to cartwheel. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft experienced a ground excursion after its right wing made contact with the runway surface upon touchdown.

What happened

During the landing phase of the flight, the aircraft's right wing made contact with the runway surface. This impact triggered a sequence of events where the aircraft began to cartwheel across the ground before eventually coming to a complete stop.

Despite the severity of the maneuver and the physical forces involved in the cartwheeling motion, there were no casualties reported as a result of this incident. The aircraft sustained damage during the excursion but no injuries occurred to those on board.

Findings

The primary factor identified in the sequence of events was the contact between the right wing and the runway surface immediately upon landing, which destabilized the aircraft's trajectory.

Probable cause

The aircraft's right wing struck the runway during touchdown, causing it to cartwheel.