Classic Wings

Douglas DC-3

The aircraft departed Egelsbach Airport in the middle morning on a local charter flight, carrying 29 passengers and a crew of three, among them a team who should make a TV movie on board. In flight, the captain left his seat and passengers came in the cockpit. The copilot was supposed to follow the Rhine River but distracted by discussions with the passengers, he mistook the Rhine with the Neckar River. Few minutes later, weather conditions deteriorated and the copilot decided to continue instead of returning. At an altitude of about 500 metres, he initiated a left turn when the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located in the forest of Hoher Nistler, about 5 km northeast of Heidelberg. Four passengers were seriously injured while 28 other occupants were killed.