What happened
On a scheduled training mission from Frankfurt-Main Airport to Cologne-Bonn Airport, a four-engine airplane departed from runway 25L at 12:22 local time. The flight was operated with a total of three crew members on board.
Approximately three minutes after the aircraft departed the runway, it reached an altitude of 6,000 feet while passing over the Nierstein beacon. At this stage of the flight, the crew received instructions to execute a right turn toward the Ruedesheim beacon, with orders to maintain a minimum altitude of 9,000 feet.
Shortly after receiving these instructions, the aircraft became uncontrollable and entered a steep dive. The plane struck a field in Ebersheim, located roughly 23 km west of Frankfurt-Main Airport, resulting in a massive explosion. The impact caused the total destruction of the airframe, and all three crew members were killed in the accident.
Findings
Official investigations into the crash concluded that the specific cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty.