Äbni Flue air accident

The Äbni Flue air accident in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland occurred on 12 April 2007 shortly after 15:00 local time. A Tornado ECR of the German Luftwaffe collided with the mountain in the Lauterbrunnen Valley at approximately and about 200 metres below the ridge line. The crew initiated the ejection very late. The pilot was fatally injured; the weapon systems officer survived with serious injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.

Sequence of events

A Tornado ECR of the Luftwaffe's Fighter-Bomber Wing 32 (46+47) was on a cross-country flight from the French military airfield of Solenzara on Corsica to its home airfield of Lechfeld, with an intermediate refuelling stop at the Swiss military airfield of Emmen. The flight to Emmen proceeded without any particular incidents. The onward flight from Emmen was planned as a navigation flight under visual flight rules in the low-altitude band and provided for a route via Sion, Lodrino, Samedan and Altenrhein on Lake Constance, and from there to the home airfield of Lechfeld.

A few minutes after take-off from Emmen, the Tornado flew into the Lauterbrunnen Valley. When the climb out of the valley was initiated, the climb angle required to safely clear the mountains was greater than the aircraft's climb performance. The aircraft collided with the mountainside of the Äbni Flue. According to the definition commonly used in aviation, this accident is to be classified as controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).

The crew recognised the hopelessness of their situation only late. The decision to eject was made outside the parameters of the escape system for the pilot – he was fatally injured. The ejection of the weapon systems officer still took place within the capabilities of the system. His parachute became caught on rock edges of the mountain face. He suffered serious injuries. His recovery required a helicopter with a rescue winch and long line.