On January 25, 2005, a Dornier DO228 (registration D-CICE) operated by Alfred Wegener Institute was involved in an aviation accident near Rothera Station, Antarctica during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft sustained heavy damage due to a hard landing performed during a steep approach in marginal weather conditions. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft performing a flight between Halley and Rothera Station sustained significant damage following a heavy landing in poor weather conditions.
What happened
During a flight operating from Halley to Rothera Station, the aircraft known as 'Polar 4' encountered challenging meteorological conditions, including snowfall and low cloud cover. While executing a steep approach under these marginal weather circumstances, the aircraft experienced a hard landing.
Although the impact resulted in substantial damages to the airframe, there were no injuries reported among the occupants. Following the incident, the aircraft was relocated to Germany for further assessment. In November 2005, it was officially determined that the aircraft was a total loss and was declared beyond repair.
Findings
The landing was characterized by a high-impact force during the approach phase.
Adverse weather, specifically low visibility and snow, contributed to the difficulty of the approach.
Probable cause
The aircraft sustained heavy damage due to a hard landing performed during a steep approach in marginal weather conditions.