Accident Overview
A four-engine aircraft operating a charter flight from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport to Burgas crashed in a wooded area near Königs Wusterhausen, approximately 11 km southeast of the departure airport. The flight carried 148 passengers—144 East German citizens, three Austrians, and one individual of unknown nationality—and an eight-member East German crew. The aircraft was destroyed, and none of the 156 occupants survived. At the time, this was the worst aircraft crash in European history.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft departed Berlin-Schönefeld at 1630 local time. Thirteen minutes after departure, while cruising at 29,200 feet, the crew reported technical problems to air traffic control and received clearance to return to Berlin. The fuel dumping system was activated at 1651 local time. Three minutes later, as the situation deteriorated, the captain initiated an emergency descent. At 1659 local time, he informed ATC that he was losing control of the airplane and declared a fire on board. Shortly thereafter, the empennage separated, and the aircraft, completely out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in flames in a wooded area.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, a hot-air tube in the rear of the airplane had contained a leak for some time. During operation, hot air at temperatures around 300 degrees Celsius weakened the insulation material of electrical wires and the airplane controls. Immediately after takeoff on the ill-fated flight, a short-circuit occurred. Sparks with temperatures up to 2000 degrees Celsius caused substantial melting and ultimately a fire in compartment number 4, located in the rear cargo bay. The fire weakened the fuselage structure, causing the tail section to fail in flight.