Incident Description
While operating a descent to Basel Airport at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the flight crew encountered marginal weather conditions. They reported to air traffic control (ATC) that they were experiencing navigation problems and requested clearance to climb to 3,500 feet over the Homburg beacon. ATC, managing traffic, granted a climb only to 2,500 feet. Within a few dozen seconds of that communication, the aircraft disappeared from radar displays.
Search and Recovery
Search and rescue operations were quickly initiated. The wreckage was discovered three days later, on April 20, by a farmer in an open field in the area of Corban, approximately 25 kilometers south of Basel Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact, and both crew members sustained fatal injuries.
Probable Cause
The commission investigating the accident determined that the cause was a collision with terrain. This occurred during the execution of a missed instrument landing system (ILS) approach procedure that was interrupted due to difficulties in navigation.