Interflug Flight DM-SEA
Encyclopedia
The 1972 Königs Wusterhausen
air disaster occurred on 14 August when an Interflug
airplane crashed shortly after take-off from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport on a holiday charter flight to Burgas
. All 156 passengers and crew died, making it the deadliest air disaster in East Germany, as well as in all Germany
to date.
On 14 August 1972 the Interflug flight left Berlin-Schönefeld airport at 16:30 local time. It being summer holiday, the number of passengers almost reached the full capacity of the plane, mainly tourists intending to spend their holiday on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The pilot was 51-year old Heinz Pfaff (8,100 flight hours), his co-pilot was Lothar Walther, 35 (6,041 flight hours). Take-off was normal, the aircraft then headed Southeast towards Czechoslovakia. 13 minutes into the flight, at 16:43, 8,900 meters above the city of Cottbus
, the pilot reported problems with the elevator
and the aircraft had left its designated route by some 10 degrees. The pilot requested a return to Schönefeld but didn't think that the situation was critical enough for an immediate landing at the nearest airport (which would have been a Soviet military airbase - Western media later speculated that the Soviets didn't allow the plane to land at their base near Cottbus). At 16:51 the crew carried out a fuel dumping
to decrease the landing weight. Meanwhile the flight attendants reported smoke in the rear section of the cabin. When the pilot had Schönefeld airport already in sight and was just a few kilometers south of it, he issued a may-day at 16:59:25 indicating that he had problems controlling the plane's altitude. A few seconds later the tail section broke off the aircraft which then entered into an uncontrolled descent during which also the front part of the plane broke off before the parts crashed into a woodside area near Königs Wusterhausen.
so the crew was not immediately able to realize the severity of the situation. The fire was caused by a leak in a hot-air tube through which air with a temperature of some 300 degrees celsius left the tube and damaged the insulation material of electricity wires and airplane control. After take-off a short-circuit caused sparks with a temperature of some 2,000 degrees celsius and a fire in cargo bay no. 4. This fire then grew until the smoke reached the passenger cabin and the fuselage structure was weakened. Finally the tail section failed in-flight.
, close to Königs Wusterhausen, a memorial commemorates the victims whose names are written on a black memorial stone.
Königs Wusterhausen
Königs Wusterhausen is a town in the Dahme-Spreewald district of the state of Brandenburg in Germany.-Geographical location:Königs Wusterhausen – or "KW" as it is often called locally – lies on the Notte Canal and the river Dahme southeast of Berlin...
air disaster occurred on 14 August when an Interflug
Interflug
Interflug was the state airline of East Germany from 1963 to 1991, when it ceased operations following German reunification...
airplane crashed shortly after take-off from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport on a holiday charter flight to Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
. All 156 passengers and crew died, making it the deadliest air disaster in East Germany, as well as in all Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to date.
The crash
The Ilyushin Il-62, serial number 00702, was the first aircraft of this type operated by Interflug. It became operational in April 1970 and by August 1972 it had a history of 3520 total airframe hours. Prior to August 14, 1972 there had never been a fatal commercial aviation incident involving a Il-62.On 14 August 1972 the Interflug flight left Berlin-Schönefeld airport at 16:30 local time. It being summer holiday, the number of passengers almost reached the full capacity of the plane, mainly tourists intending to spend their holiday on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The pilot was 51-year old Heinz Pfaff (8,100 flight hours), his co-pilot was Lothar Walther, 35 (6,041 flight hours). Take-off was normal, the aircraft then headed Southeast towards Czechoslovakia. 13 minutes into the flight, at 16:43, 8,900 meters above the city of Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
, the pilot reported problems with the elevator
Elevator (aircraft)
Elevators are flight control surfaces, usually at the rear of an aircraft, which control the aircraft's orientation by changing the pitch of the aircraft, and so also the angle of attack of the wing. In simplified terms, they make the aircraft nose-up or nose-down...
and the aircraft had left its designated route by some 10 degrees. The pilot requested a return to Schönefeld but didn't think that the situation was critical enough for an immediate landing at the nearest airport (which would have been a Soviet military airbase - Western media later speculated that the Soviets didn't allow the plane to land at their base near Cottbus). At 16:51 the crew carried out a fuel dumping
Fuel dumping
Fuel dumping is a procedure used by aircraft in certain emergency situations before a return to the airport shortly after takeoff, or before landing short of its intended destination to lighten the aircraft's weight.-Aircraft fuel dump:Aircraft have two major types of weight limits: the maximum ...
to decrease the landing weight. Meanwhile the flight attendants reported smoke in the rear section of the cabin. When the pilot had Schönefeld airport already in sight and was just a few kilometers south of it, he issued a may-day at 16:59:25 indicating that he had problems controlling the plane's altitude. A few seconds later the tail section broke off the aircraft which then entered into an uncontrolled descent during which also the front part of the plane broke off before the parts crashed into a woodside area near Königs Wusterhausen.
Cause
The pilot's last messages suggested that a fire in the rear of the aircraft was responsible for the accident. This part was not accessible from the cabin and it had no smoke detectorsSmoke detector
A smoke detector is a device that detects smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Commercial, industrial, and mass residential devices issue a signal to a fire alarm system, while household detectors, known as smoke alarms, generally issue a local audible and/or visual alarm from the detector...
so the crew was not immediately able to realize the severity of the situation. The fire was caused by a leak in a hot-air tube through which air with a temperature of some 300 degrees celsius left the tube and damaged the insulation material of electricity wires and airplane control. After take-off a short-circuit caused sparks with a temperature of some 2,000 degrees celsius and a fire in cargo bay no. 4. This fire then grew until the smoke reached the passenger cabin and the fuselage structure was weakened. Finally the tail section failed in-flight.
Memorial
At the cemetery of WildauWildau
Wildau is a German municipality of the state of Brandenburg, located in the district of Dahme-Spreewald. It is located close to Berlin and easily reached by the S-Bahn...
, close to Königs Wusterhausen, a memorial commemorates the victims whose names are written on a black memorial stone.