What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, a private flight departed from Cannes-Mandelieu Airport in France, destined for Egels andbach Airfield in Germany. The aircraft, carrying the pilot and two passengers, was initially operating under IFR flight rules at a planned cruise altitude of FL260. During the descent, the pilot contacted Frankfurt Radar to report a descent toward the UBENO reporting point. Following instructions from the controller, the flight transitioned from IFR to VFR approximately 16 NM south of the destination while at an altitude of roughly 5,000 ft AMSL.
As the aircraft approached Egelsbach, the pilot established contact with Egelsbach Information. During this exchange, the controller advised the pilot that the maximum allowable altitude in the area was 1,500 ft, to which the pilot responded by continuing the descent. The aircraft was observed on radar performing a right turn toward the DELTA approach path for runway 08. As the aircraft neared the airfield, the controller noted the aircraft was on a right base and suggested a reduction in speed.
At approximately 15:27:04, the pilot signaled an approach while the aircraft was roughly 300 m south of the runway threshold. The aircraft then initiated a left turn. Witnesses on the ground, including occupants of another aircraft on approach, observed the plane enter a dive during this turn. The aircraft crossed runway 08 at a very low altitude and, after completing about half a turn, impacted the ground approximately 100 m southwest of the threshold. The impact was followed by a fire that destroyed the aircraft. All three occupants of the aircraft were killed in the crash.
Findings
Witnesses at the airfield tower observed the aircraft flying diagonally to the landing direction, approaching the tower from the DELTA approach path with its landing gear extended. Eyewitnesses near the airport estimated the aircraft had a bank angle of between 30 and 45 degrees during its final turn. Evidence from a nearby forest, including video footage of the aircraft's shadow, confirmed the aircraft's movement immediately prior to the impact.