Accident Overview
Shortly after takeoff from runway 34 at Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel Airport, while climbing through an altitude of 1,000 feet, both engines stopped almost simultaneously (the right engine failed immediately after the left engine). The crew declared an emergency and the captain attempted an emergency landing on the Hamburg-Kiel Highway.
Landing and Post-Impact
On touchdown, the airplane slid for a few dozen metres, struck a concrete bridge, lost its wings and tail. It veered to the left and came to rest, broken in two after the cockpit separated. A fire erupted and destroyed the airplane.
Occupants and Casualties
The crew consisted of pilots Reinhold Hüls, Elisabeth Friske, and Manfred Rhode, plus three additional crew members. Of the total occupants, a crew member and 21 passengers were killed. All other occupants escaped, and 57 of them were injured.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the accident was caused by the fact that at least one of the portable containers used to refuel the onboard water injection system tank—which served both engines—contained fuel instead of water. The possibility of such a refueling error was facilitated by the fact that the transport containers used were not labeled with regard to their contents or intended use, were stored improperly, and were consequently used improperly. As a result, during takeoff and the initial climb, fuel rather than water was supplied to the engines via the water injection system toward the end of the injection process, causing severe overheating of the engines, which resulted in serious damage, particularly to the turbines. This damage resulted in a significant loss of thrust, which made it impossible to continue the flight and forced an immediate emergency landing. Due to the low altitude, the highway presented the most suitable emergency landing site. The touchdown on the highway was very hard and resulted in the fracture of the left main landing gear. Due to the damage to both engines, there was very little chance of landing the aircraft at a lower rate of descent. In addition, the aircraft’s weight exceeded the permissible landing weight. After touchdown and the failure of the left landing gear, the crew could no longer influence the course of events.