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On 23 June 2014, a German Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet and a Learjet 35 business jet participating in a military exercise collided mid-air over Olsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The Learjet subsequently crashed to the ground with the loss of both crew members on board. The Typhoon was damaged but managed to land safely.
Accident | |
---|---|
Date | 23 June 2014 (2014-06-23) |
Summary | Mid-air collision |
Site | Olsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 51°16′44″N 8°26′53″E / 51.279°N 8.448°E / 51.279; 8.448 |
Total fatalities | 2 (all on the Learjet) |
Total survivors | 1 (Eurofighter Typhoon) |
First aircraft | |
30+91, the Typhoon involved in the collision, photographed in April 2013 | |
Type | Eurofighter Typhoon |
Operator | German Air Force |
Registration | 30+91 |
Flight origin | Nörvenich Air Base, Germany |
Destination | Nörvenich Air Base |
Occupants | 1 |
Crew | 1 |
Survivors | 1 |
Second aircraft | |
D-CGFI, the Learjet involved in the collision, 2008 | |
Type | Learjet 35A |
Operator | GFD Gesellschaft Fur Flugzieldarstellung |
Registration | D-CGFI |
Flight origin | Hohn Air Base, Germany |
Destination | Hohn Air Base |
Occupants | 2 |
Crew | 2 |
Fatalities | 2 |
Survivors | 0 |
The accident happened at 14:38 CEST (12:38 UTC).[BFU 1][1] Two Eurofighter Typhoons were on exercise with the Learjet in the Elpe-Olsberg[2] area. The Learjet was simulating a civilian 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.[3][BFU 2][4][5] The lead Typhoon intercepted the Learjet, and as the latter turned to follow it, the two aircraft collided.[6][BFU 3]
The Learjet crashed about 100 metres (110 yd) from houses in Olsberg, killing both crew members.[BFU 4][1][7][8][2] 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.
The first aircraft was a Eurofighter Typhoon, msn GS0070. The aircraft was built in 2012.[BFU 5] It was operated by Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 31 "Boelcke", Luftwaffe. It was based at Nörvenich Air Base.[1]
The second aircraft was a Learjet 35A, registered D-CGFI, msn 35A-612, which had first flown in 1986.[BFU 6][2] It was operated by the GFD Gesellschaft für Flugzieldarstellung [de], a subsidiary company of Airbus Defence and Space,[3] and was based at Hohn Air Base.[2]
Investigations into the accident were carried out by the General Flugsicherheit der Bundeswehr and the Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU).[1] The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of the Learjet were recovered on the day of the accident, from a site 3 kilometres (2 mi) from the crash site of the aircraft.[9][10] The data from these devices were published in the BFU's interim report in September.[BFU 7][9] The BFU's final report into the accident was published in August 2015. It stated that the causes of the accident were:
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BFU
Interim Report (PDF). September 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2015. {{cite book}}
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Final Report (PDF). August 2015. BFU 1X002-14. Retrieved 4 September 2015. {{cite book}}
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