What happened
On May 5, 2007, a Diamond DA 40 D departed from Flensburg-Schäferhaus airfield at approximately 10:00 AM for a local sightseeing flight. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and three passengers. Shortly after departure, witnesses observed the aircraft emerging from a layer of haze over the Flensburger Förde, north of Glücksburg, in a steep descent. The aircraft struck the water surface, resulting in the deaths of four persons and the total destruction of the aircraft.
At the time of the accident, weather conditions at the crash site were significantly worse than at the departure airfield. While the departure airfield experienced good visual flight rules (VFR) conditions, the accident area was characterized by low visibility (between 2 km and 5 km) and low-level stratus clouds with bases as low as 200 feet.