Fatal Ultralight Aircraft Crash in Wesselburen Watt

Casualties unknown • nahe Büsum, DE

An Evektor Eurostar EV97 crashed into a sandbank near Büsum, resulting in two fatalities during a flight between Sylt and Nordholz.

What happened

On August 3, 2008, an Evektor Eurostar EV97 ultralight aircraft departed from Westerland/Sylt airfield at 18:38, bound for Nordholz/Spieka. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and one passenger. The flight proceeded in a straight line toward the south, and the aircraft was tracked by radar starting at 18:40. At 18:51, the pilot established radio contact with Bremen Information to receive a transponder code. The last radar contact with the aircraft occurred at 19:07 over the Wesselburen Watt.

The wreckage was discovered on a sandbank south of the Eiderstedt weir and west of Büsum. The pilot was found deceased in his seat within the wreckage, while the passenger's body was recovered from the coast near Wesselburen two days later. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact.

The investigation

The BFU investigation examined the aircraft's condition, meteorological data, and flight path. The aircraft had undergone its last annual inspection in June 2008 and had approximately 300 total flight hours. Radar data confirmed the flight path and altitude, though a navigation device recovered from the debris was too damaged to retrieve flight data.

Meteorological analysis revealed that while conditions at the departure point in Sylt were clear (CAVOK), a significant weather deterioration was occurring along the route. A heavy rain front with convective activity was moving in from the west. While standard GAFOR weather reports did not indicate significant hazards for the flight area, the investigation established that heavy precipitation and embedded cumulonimbus clouds were present in the vicinity of the accident.

Findings

  • The aircraft encountered heavy rain and convective clouds (embedded CB) in the area west of Büsum.
  • The intense precipitation likely reduced horizontal visibility to between 1 km and 3 km.
  • The presence of cumulonimbus clouds necessitated the consideration of moderate to strong turbulence.
  • The investigation found that the significant weather deterioration along the flight path was not identifiable through routine GAFOR or GAMET weather forecasts provided by the German Meteorological Service.

Probable cause

The aircraft encountered severe weather conditions, including heavy rain and convective clouds, which likely led to a loss of control or visibility in an area where standard weather forecasts had not signaled the approaching danger.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2008-08-03 Evektor Aerotechnik a.s./ accident near nahe Büsum, DE?

An Evektor Eurostar EV97 crashed into a sandbank near Büsum, resulting in two fatalities during a flight between Sylt and Nordholz.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2008-08-03 involved a Evektor Aerotechnik a.s./, at nahe Büsum, DE.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The aircraft encountered severe weather conditions, including heavy rain and convective clouds, which likely led to a loss of control or visibility in an area where standard weather forecasts had not signaled the approaching danger.

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