Incident Overview
On 23 June 2014 at approximately 15:22 local time, a collision occurred between a Learjet 35A and a Eurofighter of the German Air Force near Olsberg-Elpe, Germany. The Learjet was operated by a civilian company specializing in manned target representation. The Eurofighter was one of two aircraft from Nörvenich Air Base conducting a Renegade exercise, tasked with intercepting and identifying the unknown civilian aircraft.
Sequence of Events
The Learjet had departed from Hohn Air Base and initially flew under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) southward. Later, it switched to Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and was heading north in airspace E. At the same time, two Eurofighters took off from Nörvenich with the mission to intercept a civilian aircraft. During the interception exercise, one Eurofighter collided with the Learjet. Following the collision, the Learjet crashed into the ground. The Eurofighter sustained heavy damage.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot and copilot of the Learjet suffered fatal injuries. The Learjet was destroyed. The Eurofighter was heavily damaged, but its pilot was uninjured. Ground damage (crop damage) was also reported.
Aircraft Information
The Learjet was a Learjet 35A, a twin-engine business jet manufactured by Learjet Corporation. The Eurofighter was a Eurofighter Typhoon, a multirole combat aircraft manufactured by Eurofighter GmbH. Specific registrations of the aircraft were not provided in the report.