Incident Overview
A twin-engine airplane operating as an ambulance flight for the German Air Rescue Service (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht - DRF) crashed shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was traveling from Burgas to Stuttgart and carried a total of six people: two pilots, three medical staff members, and one 63-year-old German patient.
Sequence of Events
During the initial climb phase, the flight crew communicated with air traffic control (ATC) to report technical difficulties involving the automatic pilot system. Shortly after this communication, the crew lost control of the aircraft. The plane subsequently crashed into an open field. Upon impact, the airframe was totally destroyed, resulting in the fatalities of all six occupants on board.
Investigation Findings
The specific mechanical cause of the autopilot system failure remains unknown according to available reports. However, toxicology results indicated that both pilots were intoxicated at the time of the accident. Their respective blood alcohol levels were recorded as 0.48‰ and 0.37‰.