Cologne - Cologne

On January 23, 1961 at 07:55 AM, Cologne - Cologne experienced a crash involving Nord 2501 Noratlas, operated by German Air Force - Deutsche Luftwaffe, with the event recorded near Vilkerath North Rhine-Westphalia.

The flight was categorized as test and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a plain, valley crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 4 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The crew was engaged in a local test flight out from Cologne-Bonn Airport after one of the engine has been changed the day prior to the accident. On approach by night, the aircraft was too low and struck power cable and electric pole before crashing in a snow covered field located in Vilkerath, 15 km east of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were killed. There were icing conditions at the time of the accident. Crew: Cpt Helmut Wolf, pilot, Wolfram Miss, pilot, Erich Lauf, radio operator, Rudi Wilker, mechanic.

Aircraft reference details include registration GB+119, MSN 103.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 50.9617°, 7.3192°.