Accident Overview
On a special flight from Frankfurt-Main, an aircraft carrying four crew members and 22 passengers, along with thousands of confidential US Army documents, was cruising at an altitude of 18,000 feet. The crew contacted air traffic control twice, declared an emergency, and elected to divert to Munich-Riem Airport. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft exploded and crashed in a field in Markt Schwaben, located 17 km south of Munich Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed, and all 26 occupants were killed. Debris and documents were scattered over an area of more than 65 km².
Emergency Declaration
During the flight, the crew made two contacts with ATC, first to declare an emergency and then to divert to Munich-Riem. No further details about the nature of the emergency were provided in the official report.
Aftermath
The crash site in Markt Schwaben was heavily impacted, with the aircraft completely destroyed. Debris and sensitive US Army documents were spread over a wide area, complicating recovery efforts. All 26 individuals on board perished.
Investigation and Probable Cause
The official investigation concluded that it is believed the aircraft suffered a major structural failure in flight, possibly due to fatigue cracks that were not detected during the last maintenance check. The assumption that a fire erupted in the cargo compartment was not ruled out.