What happened
On the day of the accident, a flight crew departed from Cologne-Bonn Airport at 12:48 local time to conduct a scheduled training mission. During the flight, the crew performed stall simulations at a relatively low altitude. During these maneuvers, the aircraft experienced technical issues involving the overheating of both engines.
Following the onset of a fire in the left engine, the crew attempted to execute an emergency landing in an open field. During this process, the left engine became detached from the airframe. The loss of the engine caused the aircraft to lose altitude, leading to a crash near Bergisch Gladbach, located approximately 13 km north of Cologne Airport. The impact resulted in the aircraft bursting into flames and being completely destroyed. The two pilots sustained serious injuries during the event.
Findings
- Both engines experienced overheating during low-altitude stall simulations.
- A fire developed in the left engine.
- The left engine separated from the aircraft during the crew's attempt to land in a field.