What happened
During the late afternoon, a twin-engine aircraft departed from Donaueschingen-Villingen Airport to perform a local calibration mission. The flight involved conducting several circuits at an altitude of 7,000 feet to verify the functionality of NDB and DME systems. Following the successful calibration of these instruments, the crew began their return to the airport.
While attempting an approach to runway 36 under marginal weather conditions, the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a forested region situated approximately 15 km from the airfield. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and four fatalities.
Findings
Investigation into the flight path revealed that the crew did not maintain the required altitude during the approach. Standard operating procedures dictated that the aircraft should have maintained a minimum altitude of 4,500 feet until reaching 11 km from the runway threshold, followed by a descent to 2,650 feet. However, the crew initiated a descent too early, which led to the aircraft striking the terrain.