What happened
On July 2, 2006, at approximately 10:36 AM, a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver departed from the Hamburg Norderelbe special water landing site for a commercial sightseeing flight. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and five passengers. After taking off from the main channel of the Elbe and climbing in an easterly direction, the aircraft turned south.
As the aircraft approached the Veddel Dam, witnesses observed the engine failing. The aircraft subsequently entered a descent, turning eastward without engine noise. The pilot attempted an emergency landing on the railway tracks of the Hamburg-Sald station, where the aircraft struck obstacles, including tracks and parked wagons. The impact caused a post-crash fire and destroyed the aircraft.
Of the six people on board, five fatalities occurred, and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The pilot also sustained serious injuries and later succumbed to them.