Timeline
20 years ago, on July 1, 2002, two planes collided over Lake Constance in Überlingen. 71 people lost their lives. On Friday there will be a memorial event with the mourners on site. It is not yet certain how many people will actually come from Russia.
06.30.2022 12.32
Online since yesterday, 12:32 pm
Just before midnight on July 1, 2002, a Russian Tupolev passenger plane and a DHL cargo plane collided. The Russian plane was on its way from Moscow to Barcelona. There were 69 passengers on board, including 47 children. They wanted to vacation in Spain.
The German cargo plane Boeing 757 was en route to Brussels with the pilot and co-pilot. The two planes collided between 11:35 pm and 11:36 pm at an altitude of 11,000 meters. None of the 71 people survived the accident. There were no injuries on the ground.
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What happened in detail
At 23:34, the TCAS collision warning system in both cockpits reported that the safety distance was short. At the same time, the air traffic controller of the air traffic control company Skyguide in Zurich acknowledged the dangerous situation. He saw that the planes were on a collision course. While the collision warning system instructed the Tupolev to ascend, the skyguide’s air traffic controller instructed the plane to descend. The Tupolev crew decided to follow the pilot and continue sinking – which led to the fatal collision.
20 years since the Überlingen air disaster
20 years ago, on July 1, 2002, two planes collided over Lake Constance in Überlingen. 71 people lost their lives. On Friday there will be a memorial event with the mourners on site. It is not yet certain how many people will actually come from Russia.
Air traffic controller was stabbed
More than 1,000 police and aides scoured an area of 30 square kilometers in search of bodies and debris. According to the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation, the accident occurred due to technical defects and human error in Swiss air traffic control Skyguide. At the control center in Zurich, an air traffic controller was solely responsible for the airspace over southern Germany that night.
His radar and phone had limited service due to maintenance work. In 2004, the air traffic controller was stabbed to death by a relative. The Russian had lost his wife and children in the accident.
Several safety notices were issued after the accident. However, about two pilots must be present at the same time.
Arriving from Russia with obstacles
So far, up to 100 Russians have come to Überlingen to celebrate. However, this cannot be assumed for the 20th anniversary because of the war in Ukraine. Traveling from Russia to Germany is not so easy for the bereaved. The German Foreign Ministry says that Russian travelers who are not on the sanctions list can apply for a tourist visa.
According to the city, representatives of the Russian state are not invited to the commemoration with a minute of silence and the laying of a wreath. During the celebration, police officers will ensure that there will be no war-related disturbances in Ukraine. So far, according to the police, there is no evidence of this.