Incident Overview
Date: Saturday 24 August 1957
Aircraft Type: Lockheed 18 Learstar I
Owner/operator: Helmut Horten GmbH
Registration Number: D-COCA
Location: 1,5 km NW of Krumpendorf –
ÿ Austria
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Component Affected: Left wingLeft wing
Category: Accident
A twin-engine aircraft carrying a crew of three and a cargo of flowers returned to Stuttgart from Stuttgart, Germany, carrying a flower shipment to the Velden flower show. The flight requested landing instructions and received a response indicating clearance to enter the traffic circuit and report downwind with no local traffic. A failure of the left wing during flight resulted in a catastrophic crash near Krumpendorf, resulting in the deaths of all crew members. The probable cause was identified as a break in the left wing between the engine and fuselage due to overstress, leading to fuel ignition and subsequent fire.A twin-engine aircraft carrying a crew of three and a cargo of flowers returned to Stuttgart from Stuttgart, Germany, carrying a flower shipment to the Velden flower show. The flight requested landing instructions and received a response indicating clearance to enter the traffic circuit and report downwind with no local traffic. A failure of the left wing during flight resulted in a catastrophic crash near Krumpendorf, resulting in the deaths of all crew members. The probable cause was identified as a break in the left wing between the engine and fuselage due to overstress, leading to fuel ignition and subsequent fire.
Description
The aircraft was on a return flight to Klagenfurt from Stuttgart carrying a crew of three and a cargo of flowers for the annual flower-show at Velden. At 17:52 hours GMT the flight requested landing instructions from Klagenfurt Tower, which replied: “cleared to enter traffic circuit SW 340/2 kts Runway 29 report downwind, no local traffic.” At 17:58 hours following failure of the left wing in flight, the aircraft went down in flames near Krumpendorf, killing all crew members. Probable Cause: “The accident was due to the breaking off of the left wing between the engine and the fuselage as a result of overstrain on the assembly, and fuel ignition followed.”
Primary Cause
Break in left wing between engine and fuselage due to overstress, leading to fuel ignition and fire.Break in left wing between engine and fuselage due to overstress, leading to fuel ignition and fire.Share on:
