German air disaster: 2 planes crashed perpendicularly in mid-air, 71 people died

Terrible tragedy occurred on July 1, 2002, when two planes collided perpendicular to each other in the air, killing all passengers and crew on the two planes.

Accordingly, on the night of July 1, 2002, people living in the Überlingen area of Germany heard a loud explosion. Soon the night sky was lit up red by the burning debris from the horrific collision of the two planes.

Hundreds of rescuers and police were on the scene looking for survivors, but miracles did not happen. The horrific collision killed all passengers and crew on the two planes.

German air disaster: 2 planes crashed perpendicularly in mid-air, 71 people died
Two planes crashed perpendicularly in mid-air, killing all passengers and crew.

This accident is said to be the rarest and most terrible air disaster in German aviation history. Because not only the cause but the consequences after the accident also made many people feel inconsolable. So what happened in the end?

On the night of July 1, 2002, Bashkirian Airlines flight 2937 departed from Moscow, Russia to Barcelona, Spain. This is a “special flight” operated by a talented captain with more than 30 years of experience – G.Alexander.

Call this a “special flight” because the passengers on the flight are mostly elite children from Ufa, Bashkortostan. The flight was a holiday organized by the local UNESCO committee sponsored by the region’s talented children to the Costa Daurada beach of Catalonia, Spain.

When flying over the airspace of Überlingen Germany, due to a contradiction in the instructions of the air traffic controller and the aircraft collision avoidance warning system TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System – system equipped on the aircraft, automatic warning warning to avoid collision). Russian plane 2937 and flight DHL 611 both flew at the same altitude of 36,000 feet.

German air disaster: 2 planes crashed perpendicularly in mid-air, 71 people died
This accident is said to be the rarest and most terrible air disaster in German aviation history. (Photo: Internet).

45 seconds before the disaster, captain G.Alexander discovered the problem and tried to adjust the altitude of the plane, but because the time was too short. Two planes collide perpendicular to each other. The tail section of flight DHL611 cut across the fuselage of fuselage 2937 causing the plane to split in half. Flight 2937 then burst into flames and crashed immediately. And the cargo plane DHL 611, due to the loss of the tail balancer, also crashed shortly after.

According to the investigation, the main cause of the tragedy was the inefficiency of the transmission line and the warning system of Skyguide, Germany . In addition, the lack of personnel makes air traffic controller Peter Nielsen alone to manage two areas at the same time, leading to delay in receiving and sending dangerous warnings is also one of the reasons. lead to tragedy.

The collision killed all passengers and crew on the two planes, according to statistics of 71 people died in this collision, the most heartbreaking, of which 46 were children .

German air disaster: 2 planes crashed perpendicularly in mid-air, 71 people died
The collision killed all passengers and crew on the two planes. (Photo: Internet).

Skyguide initially blamed the Russian pilot but later had to accept full responsibility and ask for forgiveness from the victim’s family. At the same time accept huge compensation for the victims’ families. In 2008, Skyguide filed for bankruptcy under Russian law.

Air traffic controller Peter Nielsen, who directly guided and controlled after witnessing the tragedy on the night of July 1, 2002, had to receive medical care due to psychological trauma. Not long after, on February 24, 2004, Peter Nielsen was stabbed to death in his home. The killer is a Russian architect, because he was so traumatized by the death of his wife and two children on flight 2937, this person watched and decided to take revenge on Peter Nielsen. The multi-year incident is said to be the rarest and most terrible air disaster in German aviation history.

After this tragic accident, the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO issued a notice. In the event of a conflict between the instructions of ATC air traffic controllers and the automatic collision avoidance warning system TCAS, the aircraft should follow the instructions of TCAS, ignoring the instructions of the controller. air traffic control.