What happened
On a scheduled sightseeing excursion departing from Essen-Mühlheim Airport at 11:58 local time, a single-engine aircraft operated by Sachsische Luftfahrt Service encountered a critical power loss. The flight was intended to traverse the Duisburg and Düsseldorf regions before returning to its origin. While maintaining an altitude of 1,500 feet during the cruise phase, the engine ceased functioning properly.
In response to the failure, the pilot initiated a descent to lower the aircraft's altitude and sought an emergency landing site near a local sports center. The aircraft contacted the ground in a field, where it continued to slide for approximately 200 meters before striking a group of trees. Although the impact resulted in the aircraft being damaged beyond repair, all 11 occupants (consisting of two crew members and nine passengers) managed to exit the wreckage without any injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the incident revealed that a warning light on the cockpit panel had illuminated a few seconds prior to the engine failure, signaling a potential malfunction within the fuel supply system. However, the pilot failed to observe this indicator before the loss of power occurred. While the fuel tanks still contained a combined total of 230 liters—split between 130 liters in the right main tank and 100 liters in the left main tank—the fuel line contained only one liter of fuel, which led to the engine's failure.