Date 23 June 2014 Fatalities 2 (all) | Total fatalities 2 Registration 30+91 Total survivors 1 | |
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Site Olsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Similar 2014 Santos Cessna C, Nepal Airlines Flight 183, 2014 Algerian Air Force, 2014 Lao People's Liberatio, Skyway Enterprises Flight 7101 | ||
2014 olsberg mid air collision
On 23 June 2014, a mid-air collision occurred over Olsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, during an exercise simulating the interception of a civilian airliner that was out of radio contact. One of the aircraft consequently crashed; both occupants died. The other aircraft landed safely.
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Aircraft
The first aircraft was a Eurofighter Typhoon, msn GS0070. The aircraft was built in 2012. It was operated by Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 31 "Boelcke", Luftwaffe. It was based at Nörvenich Air Base.
The second aircraft was a Learjet 35A, registered D-CGFI, msn 35A-612, which had first flown in 1986. It was operated by the GFD Gesellschaft für Flugzieldarstellung, a subsidiary company of Airbus Defence and Space, and was based at Hohn Air Base.
Accident
Two Eurofighter Typhoons were on exercise with the Learjet in the Elpe-Olsberg area. The Learjet was simulating a civil airliner that had been hijacked and had broken off radio contact with Air Traffic Control, while the Typhoons were simulating a military response to such a scenario. The lead Typhoon intercepted the Learjet, and as the latter turned to follow it, the two aircraft collided.
The Learjet consequently crashed about 100 metres (110 yd) from houses in Olsberg. The accident happened at 14:38 CEST (12:38 UTC). The Typhoon aircraft was severely damaged, but was able to land safely at Nörvenich Air Base, near Cologne. The second Typhoon landed at Cologne Bonn Airport. Both of the crew of the Learjet died in the crash.
It was the first mid-air collision in German airspace in ten years.
Investigations
Investigations into the accident were opened by the General Flugsicherheit der Bundeswehr and the Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU). In the late evening of 23 June, the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of the Learjet were recovered from a site 3 kilometres (2 mi) from the crash site of the aircraft. The data from these devices were published in the BFU's interim report in September. The BFU's final report into the accident was published in August 2015.
The pilots of the two Eurofighter Typhoons were being investigated by the public prosecutor's office on suspicion of causing death by negligence and might face charges of manslaughter. A commander at the Tactical Air Force squadron reported that both of the jet pilots were very experienced and had frequently been involved in such exercises.