1956 Wasterkingen Ilyushin Il-12 plane crash
A Ilyushin Il-12 of ČSA Czechoslovak Airlines similar to the incident aircraft
Accident
Date24 November 1956
SummaryEngine failure after take off
SiteEglisau, Switzerland
Aircraft typeIlyushin Il-12B
OperatorČSA Czechoslovak Airlines
RegistrationOK-DBP
Flight originZürich, Switzerland
DestinationPrague, Czechoslovakia
Passengers18[1]
Crew5[1]
Fatalities23[1]
Injuries0
Survivors0

On 24 November 1956 the ČSA Czechoslovak Airlines Ilyushin Il-12B "OK-DBP" was an international scheduled passenger flight from Zürich to Prague. Shortly after take off from Zurich-Kloten Airport the airplane crashed 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of the airport in a field near Eglisau and Wasterkingen, Switzerland. All 23 people on board were killed.

On the same day another international scheduled passenger flight crashed, the 1956 Paris DC-6 crash.

The crash is listed as one of the main flight accidents in Switzerland.[2]

Flight and crash

The affected airplane of the crash was an Ilyushin Il-12 with tail number "OK-DBP". It was operated by ČSA Czechoslovak Airlines. The airplane was seven years old with its first flight in 1949.[1] Earlier in the day on 24 November 1956, the airplane had already done a return flight from Prague to Zürich. During this return flight it was reported that the airplane had already had engine problems.[3]

In the evening on 24 November 1956 the airplane departed again from Zurich-Kloten Airport for an international passenger flight from Zürich to Prague. Shortly after take-off the airplane experienced an engine failure. While attempting to return to the airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed with its nose first at 18:20 local time 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of the airport in a field near Wasterkingen, Switzerland close to the German border. After hitting the ground the aircraft exploded. All 23 people on board were killed. Due to the impact a crater 10 metres wide and 3 meters deep was formed.[4][5][6]

Soon after the crash, Czechoslovak aviation experts started an investigation.[7]

Victims

Nationality of the victims
Nationality Crew Passengers
 China 10
 Czechoslovakia 6
 Bolivia 2
Total 5 18

There were 23 people on board the airplane: 18 passengers and 5 crew members. All 23 people were killed in the crash. The passengers consisted of 10 Chinese people, six Czech people and two Bolivian people.[7] The pilot of the flight was Josef Plechatý.[8]

Among the passengers were five people from the Czechoslovak ice hockey team TJ Baník Chomutov ZJF (now called Piráti Chomutov) and a reporter, playing in the highest national league, the Czechoslovak Extraliga. The team was on return after playing international matches in Switzerland. The team booked in a flight earlier, but the team was asked to give up some seats of their return flight. The six who changed to this flight were the club's founders, Stanislav Vaisochr, the chairman of the physical education unit Jan Výborný, goalkeeper Miroslav Pašek and forwards Zdeněk Nový and Ondřej Borovička and a reporter.[9][10][7] Two of the three players were also players of the Czechoslovakia men's national ice hockey team: the 34 year old goalkeeper Miroslav Pašek and the 25 year old defender Zdeněk Nový.[11][12]

The ten Chinese people were members of the China National Opera from Beijing.[11] They were on return to China after an opera tour in Latin America and Western Europe.[5][3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Accident description for OK-DBP at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "Die schwersten Flugunfälle in der Schweiz". Tages Anzeiger (in German). 5 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Twee ernstige vliegrampen 33 en 23 doden". Nieuwe Winterswijksche courant (in Dutch). 26 November 1956 – via Delpher.
  4. ↑ "Crash of an Ilyushin Il-12B in Eglisau: 23 killed". baaa-acro.com.
  5. 1 2 "Twee vliegtuigongelukken eisten 57 slachtoffers" (in Dutch). Dagblad voor Noord-Limburg. 26 November 1956 – via Delpher.
  6. ↑ "Als es 1956 in Wasterkingen Uhren vom Himmel regnete". Der Landbote (in German). 23 November 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Tsjechisch vliegtuig bij Zürich neergestort" (in Dutch). Provinciale Drentsche en Asser courant. 26 November 1956 – via Delpher.
  8. ↑ ACCIDENTS ET INCIDENTS D'AÉRONEFS 1940 – 1959 histaero.ch
  9. ↑ "Vzpomínky. Chomutov si připomíná leteckou tragédii hokejistů" (in Czech). 24 November 2011.
  10. ↑ "Černý den kdysi prožil i Chomutov. Letadlo pohřbilo hráče a vedení" (in Czech). iDNES.cz. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Vliegrampen eisen 35 en 23 doden". Het Vrije Volk (in Dutch). 26 November 1956 – via Delpher.
  12. ↑ "56 doden bij twee vliegtuigrampen". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 26 November 1956 – via Delpher.
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