What happened
During a flight originating from Hamburg and bound for Westerland, a single-engine aircraft experienced a critical failure. While operating at an altitude of 1,300 feet and approximately 30 km southeast of Westerland-Sylt Airport, the pilot was executing an approach for runway 24 when both engines ceased to function. Following the loss of power, the pilot declared an emergency and received clearance to perform a straight-in approach toward runway 33.
In an effort to manage the emergency, the pilot attempted to ditch the plane approximately two km away from the coast. Emergency responders reached the location roughly 45 minutes after the incident. The pilot was successfully rescued from the scene, though the aircraft subsequently sank beneath the surface.
Findings
Investigations into the wreckage revealed that the aircraft contained approximately 400 litres of fuel across its tanks, which was significantly more than the 250 litres loaded at Hamburg Airport. This finding effectively ruled out fuel exhaustion as a factor in the accident. However, investigators identified traces of corrosion on various components within the engines.