What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, the PH-DDA, an aircraft type, departed Texel International Airport at 14:28, bound for Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport. The departure was initially observed as normal by airport personnel. However, as the aircraft flew over the eastern coast of Texel, witnesses noted a high-pitched noise and a brief orange flame appearing beneath the left engine.
At 14:33, the crew notified Texel Radio of engine difficulties. The aircraft was subsequently directed to De Kooy Approach. Radar data from NAS De Kooy later showed the aircraft at 800 feet, though it was not visible on primary radar during the initial phase of the emergency. The crew requested an emergency landing at De Kooy while positioned approximately 11 nautical miles northeast of the station. During the descent, the crew reported that they had feathered the left engine.
As the aircraft approached the airfield, its airspeed began to decrease while maintaining an altitude of 500 feet. Despite receiving instructions from De Kooy Approach, the aircraft failed to follow the assigned heading and instead began a sharp left turn. The last radar contact occurred at 14:37:47, showing the aircraft at an altitude of 200 feet before it disappeared from the screen. The aircraft subsequently struck a submerged sandbank in the Waddenzee, where the water depth was roughly 1.2 meters. The crash resulted in 32 fatalities, including one passenger who succumbed to injuries later that evening.
Findings
- Witnesses observed a short-lived fire from the left engine and an unusual noise during the outbound flight phase.
- The aircraft experienced a significant loss of airspeed during the emergency approach.
- The flight path deviated from the controller's instructions, characterized by an increasing rate of leftward turning.