Investigation Summary
The investigation into Flight 005 highlighted a complex interaction between technical failure and human performance. The Convair 440 was operating in challenging conditions: heavy rain, a low ceiling of less than 100 meters, and a tailwind that exceeded the aircraft's certified limits for the airport. Evidence suggested that one of the flight director instruments provided false information, leading the crew to fly above the intended glide path. When the aircraft finally broke through the clouds, the captain was faced with a sudden need to correct his approach. The subsequent go-around was executed with an extreme pitch angle (estimated between 30 and 60 degrees), which led to a stall. The investigation also noted that the Convair 440 had poor stall recovery characteristics, and at an altitude of only 10 meters, there was no margin for recovery. A notable finding during the autopsy was that the co-pilot had a blood alcohol content of 0.24 per mil, though the primary focus of the crash remained on the captain's actions and potential physical incapacitation.
Final Conclusions
The official investigation concluded the crash was caused by a stall during an aborted landing. Contributing factors included a likely instrument malfunction that led to an unstabilized approach, the pilot's incorrect assessment of altitude in poor visibility, and a possible sudden physical disorder (cardiovascular issue) affecting the captain during the critical go-around phase. The aircraft's inherent stall performance and the low altitude at which the stall occurred made recovery impossible.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Flight Director
A suspected malfunction in this instrument likely provided false glide path information to the pilots.
Instrument Landing System (ILS)
The primary guidance system used during the approach in low visibility conditions.
Interesting Facts
- 01The accident killed seven members of the Italian national swimming team and their coach.
- 02The aircraft was operating with a 6-knot tailwind, exceeding the 5-knot limit for the Convair 440 at Bremen.
- 03The co-pilot was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.24 per mil during the autopsy.
- 04The aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder, which was not mandatory at the time.
- 05The crash was the fourth total loss for Lufthansa since its post-war reestablishment in 1954.