On December 26, 2001, a Britten-Norman Islander (registration D-IAAI) operated by BAL Bremerhaven Airline was involved in an aviation accident near Bremerhaven, Germany during takeoff. 8 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: It was determined that the snow over the wings was not properly removed prior to takeoff, causing a loss of lift and disturbing the airflow. There were no defined procedures about deicing in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual of the operator. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A twin-engine aircraft stalled and crashed into the Weser River after takeoff from Bremerhaven due to snow not properly removed from wings. A passenger was rescued, eight others killed.
Incident
The departure from Bremerhaven was scheduled for a flight to Wangerooge Island, but it was postponed by 30 minutes because snow showers were occurring at the airport. The pilot performed manual removal of snow from the windshield, the leading edge of the wings, and the wing surfaces. The twin-engine aircraft departed from runway 34. During the climb, the aircraft's ascent was slow, and it reached an altitude of about 195 feet before it stalled and then fell into the Weser River. A crew from a nearby ferry quickly responded to the scene and managed to rescue one passenger. The remaining eight occupants of the aircraft lost their lives in the crash.
Investigation
The official probable cause of the accident was determined to be improper removal of snow from the wings before takeoff. This inadequate cleaning caused a loss of lift and disturbed the airflow over the wings. Furthermore, the operator's Standard Operating Procedures manual did not include any defined procedures for deicing the aircraft.