In Bimöhlen in Bad Bramstedt ( Kreis Segeberg ) a helicopter of the Federal Police crashed with three occupants. The 33 -year-old co-pilot and a 42 year old companion died. The 31 year old pilot suffered serious injuries, according to police, and was taken to hospital . The EC135 helicopter crashed at 20:00 and was completely destroyed. In the morning, Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière ( CDU ) was on the scene .
Machine was on training flight
" My thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families of those killed and seriously injured colleagues ," said de Maiziere on Thursday night . He is responsible as interior minister for the Federal Police . Even Prime Minister Torsten Albig expressed shock : " I am shocked by this tragedy that has two men of the Federal Police taken so suddenly and abruptly from life " , the SPD politician said this morning . " I hope that the downed pilot of the helicopter survived the disaster .
At the crash site the country Interior Minister Stefan Studt and Secretary Manuela Söller - Winkler ( both SPD ) are now located beside de Maizière .
Crash near road and soccer field
The accident site is a field only about 20 meters from a road which leads to Bimöhlen. A few hundred meters away is a football field, in use at the time of the crash. An eyewitness told NDR 1 Welle Nord : " I was surprised that the machine is flown so low without headlight. Then the helicopter crashed in a circular motion . . " Bystanders were " probably not injured " , according to police .
The machine belonged to the squadron in Fuhlendorf in Bad Bramstedt, based not far from the crash site. "The occupants of the helicopter were on a training flight and were launched in Fuhlendorf," said police spokeswoman Silke Westphal.
Was there an emergency?
In addition to the Criminal Bad Segeberg also two members of the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) Braunschweig arrived on the scene during the night. They find the black box, which records data of the flight and voices in the cockpit, and are now trying to reconstruct how the accident happened. In addition, they would investigate the wreck, said BFU spokesman Germout Friday on Friday morning. First, it is a matter to determine whether conclusions on the cause of the crash are possible from the location of the wreck. So one can detect whether the rotor was turning.
Whether there has been an emergency call shortly before the crash, is still open. "I can neither confirm nor deny," Westphal said. Pending final results, it will "certainly take several days.
Last edited by John R81; 26th Feb 2016 at 11:41.