Investigation Summary
The flight departed Jerez, Spain, at 12:57 UTC. On board were pilot Karl-Peter Griesemann, his wife Juliane, their daughter Lisa, and her boyfriend Paul. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight, while at FL 360, the pilot contacted Madrid ACC reporting problems with the air conditioning and pressurization, requesting an immediate descent. Communication was lost shortly thereafter. French, German, and Danish fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the 'ghost flight'. Intercepting pilots reported seeing no damage to the airframe and observed the pilot slumped in the cockpit with his oxygen mask hanging unused. The aircraft overflew its destination of Cologne and continued northeast across the Baltic Sea. At 17:30 UTC, the aircraft began an uncommanded descent, eventually entering a spiral dive and impacting the water at 17:45 UTC. Search teams recovered human remains and wreckage, including the oxygen cylinder, from a debris field at a depth of 62 meters.
Final Conclusions
The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) concluded that the accident was caused by the pilot's incapacitation due to hypoxia. This resulted from a failure in the aircraft's pressurization system during cruise flight. The investigation further determined that the emergency oxygen system failed to provide the pilot with oxygen, likely due to a technical fault or improper configuration that prevented the flow of oxygen to the mask despite the cylinder containing pressure. The aircraft continued on autopilot until fuel exhaustion led to an uncontrolled descent and impact with the Baltic Sea.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
72-year-old pilot, owner of Quick Air. Held CPL(A) with C501/551 SP rating.
Systems & Failure Modes
Cabin Pressure Control System
Uses conditioned engine bleed air and outflow valves to maintain a safe cabin altitude; the pilot reported a failure in this system shortly before losing consciousness.
Emergency Oxygen System
Consists of a 67.4 cubic foot cylinder providing oxygen to crew and passenger masks; investigators found the pilot's mask hanging unused.
Sperry SP-200 Autopilot
Maintained the aircraft's heading and altitude for over three hours after the pilot became incapacitated.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was approved for single-pilot operation.
- 02Fighter pilots from France, Germany, and Denmark observed the aircraft and reported no signs of life in the cockpit.
- 03The pilot was the owner of the air charter company Quick Air.
- 04The aircraft was not equipped with a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), nor was it required to be.
- 05Wreckage was located on the sea floor at a depth of approximately 62 meters.
- 06The aircraft (MSN 551-0021) was built in 1979, converted from Cessna 550 airframe 107.
- 07At the time of the last annual inspection on September 22, 2021, the airframe had 7,936 hours; it reached approximately 8,000 hours by the time of the crash.
- 08Intercepting pilots reported observing icing on the cockpit windows, a common indicator of a cabin temperature drop associated with pressurization failure.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Hypoxia Awareness and Oxygen System Readiness
The BFU interim report highlighted the importance of immediate use of oxygen masks upon the first sign of pressurization issues. The investigation noted that while the oxygen cylinder was found with pressure, the pilot's mask remained in its stowage cup, emphasizing the rapid onset of incapacitation at high altitudes (FL 360).
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the official investigation report.