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The air accident on the Steinkopf on July 8, 1948 was an accident involving a Douglas DC-3/C-47 on the Steinkopf near Königstein im Taunus
Accident
editThe Berlin Blockade of 1948 was broken by the Berlin Airlift. One of the main routes for the Raisin bombers was the route from Wiesbaden-Erbenheim airfield or Frankfurt Main Airport to Berlin-Tempelhof airport. In the late evening of July 8, 1948, a Douglas DC-3/C-47 took off from Wiesbaden en route to Berlin. On board were the two pilots, Lieutenant George B. Smith and First Lieutenant Leland V. Williams, as well as the civilian Karl Viktor Hagen, who was to bring large amounts of cash to Berlin on behalf of the US Treasury.
Shortly after take-off, the aircraft flew into the summit of the Steinkopf. Eyewitnesses reported an explosion and a fireball. The reason for the accident was the heavy weight of the aircraft, which had prevented a rapid climb. The pilots were not aware that they were already flying over the Taunus and could not see in the darkness that the plane was touching the treetops, which led to the accident. It was therefore a CFIT (controlled flight into terrain).
It was the first fatal accident involving an airplane during the Berlin Airlift.
Memorial
editA memorial was erected at the site of the accident, the summit of the Steinkopf. It consists of a mound of quarry stone, into which a red sandstone plaque with the names of the victims has been set. Above it is a wooden cross.
In 2023, information boards were erected along the path from the Biltalhöhe to the Steinkopf to explain the event and its background.
Sources
edit- Inniges Gedenken an der Absturzstelle des Vaters; in: Taunuszeitung vom 19. Oktober 2023, S. 12.
Weblinks
editCoordinates: 50° 11′ 30.9″ N, 8° 25′ 57.8″ E