The crash is said to have occurred early Monday afternoon at an airfield near Rendsburg. The background is still unclear.
A Learjet of the Society for Flight Target DisplayStock Trek images/imago
According to media reports, at least two people died when a Learjet crashed at a Luftwaffe airfield near Rendsburg in Schleswig-Holstein. The accident happened at 12:45 p.m. with a Learjet from the subsidiary GFD taking off, a spokesman said. The machine is said to belong to a private company that flies on behalf of the Bundeswehr. The two dead are said to be the pilots of the Learjet, like him North German Broadcasting (NDR) reported.
The twin-engine Learjet was to start from Hohn for a training mission with air traffic controllers from the German Air Force in northern Germany. Experts from the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation traveled from Braunschweig immediately. They should start their examinations in the afternoon.
Boris Pistorius expresses condolences to relatives
The Air Force announced on Twitter that the machine had crashed while taking off within the air base.
Air accident in mockery. A Learjet from the Society for Flight Target Display (GFD) crashed today while taking off from Hohn Airfield while still inside the air base. The Federal Office for Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) is in charge of investigating the crash. The GFD flies in our… pic.twitter.com/JeEPgTauBn
— Team Luftwaffe (@Team_Luftwaffe) May 15, 2023
A large contingent of fire brigades and police are also on duty at the airfield in Hohn, according to the NDR. The Air Force spokesman announced a statement for the afternoon.
Airbus, meanwhile, offered its deepest condolences to the families affected by this tragic accident. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) reacted with dismay on the sidelines of the handover appeal by the Territorial Command in Berlin. “Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the two who died. You have our heartfelt condolences in these difficult hours. What caused the terrible accident and the death of two people is now the subject of the investigation.
