Flight Inspection International

Beechcraft 300 Super King Air

The twin engine aircraft departed Donaueschingen-Villingen Airport in the afternoon on a local calibration mission. After several circuits over the area at an altitude of 7,000 feet, both NDB and DME systems have been calibrated and the crew was returning to the airport at the end of the afternoon. While approaching runway 36 in marginal weather conditions, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located about 15 km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed. According to published procedures, the crew was supposed to continue the approach at a minimum altitude of 4,500 feet until 11 km from the runway threshold then descending to 2,650 feet. For unknown reasons, the crew started the descent prematurely, causing the aircraft to impact terrain.