What happened
Following departure from Schleswig, the aircraft was in the initial climb phase when the flight crew identified a technical malfunction preventing the landing gear from retracting. Due to this persistent issue, the captain elected to return to the departure airport for an immediate landing.
Upon touchdown, the undercarriage collapsed under the weight of the airframe. The aircraft subsequently slid along the runway surface on its belly before eventually coming to a complete stop. While the incident resulted in no injuries to those on board, the airframe sustained extensive damage that rendered it beyond economic repair.
It is noted that this specific airframe had previously sustained damage on June 12 during a collision with another LAC Halifax 8 at Berlin-Tegel Airport.
Findings
The official investigation attributed the incident to a technical problem with the undercarriage.