1983-07-23: Piper PA-31 Cheyenne (D-IAKS) — Schröter Verwaltungs — Borkum Island, Germany

8 fatalitiesBorkum Island, GermanyTakeoff (climb)

A twin-engine airplane crashed into the Sea of Wadden shortly after departing from Borkum Island, resulting in no survivors.

What happened

During the initial climb phase following departure from Borkum Island Airport, a twin engine airplane experienced a sudden loss of altitude. The aircraft descended into the Sea of Wadden, where the impact resulted in a post-crash fire.

Search efforts located the wreckage approximately 2 km away from the coastline. There were eight fatalities recorded among the occupants of the aircraft, with no survivors reported from the scene.

Findings

The investigation into the crash focused on the period immediately following takeoff, noting that the descent and subsequent impact occurred while the aircraft was attempting to gain altitude.

Probable cause

The aircraft lost altitude during its initial climb phase, leading to a crash in the sea.