Crash of German Armed Forces helicopter claims third life of crew member - Helicopter crash in Germany leaves two crew members deceased, third successfully rescued
In a tragic turn of events, a Bundeswehr EC-135 helicopter crashed into the Mulde River in Grimma, Saxony, Germany, during a routine training flight on July 29, 2025, at approximately 10:30 AM.
The incident has left two crew members confirmed dead, and a third, believed to be the pilot, is still missing as rescue teams continue their tireless search. The helicopter was conducting low-altitude maneuvers as part of pilot training when it disappeared from radar. Witnesses heard a loud splash, and the wreckage was later discovered by canoeists who alerted emergency services.
The search and rescue operation involves over 200 personnel from police divers, fire brigades, Bundeswehr, the technical relief agency, and environmental teams. However, the operation is complicated by poor underwater visibility, strong river currents, and aviation fuel leakage into the water. An oil barrier has been set up to contain the kerosene leakage.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has confirmed the fatalities and the missing crew member, expressing his condolences and vowing a thorough investigation into the crash’s cause. The Bundeswehr has grounded similar training flights as a precaution, and the Federal Aviation Office has imposed a no-fly zone around the crash site. Authorities have established a military restricted area and emphasized the complexity of the search due to the helicopter's position in the river and environmental hazards from fuel spills.
Minister Pistorius has also thanked the search and rescue teams on site for their efforts and asked for discretion and restraint at the crash site. He has expressed condolences to the families and friends of the deceased soldiers.
As of now, the exact cause of the crash remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing. Updates from the Defence Ministry are expected in the coming days, focused on recovering the missing crew member and determining the factors leading to this tragic accident.
The helicopter involved in the crash was rented for training purposes. Boris Pistorius, the Minister of Defense, is from Berlin and is a member of the SPD party. The crash site is not yet complete, and recovery operations are ongoing.
[1] [https://www.bundeswehr.de/aktuelles/nachrichten/2025/07/29/bundeswehr-helicopter-crash-in-grimma] [2] [https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bundeswehr-helicopter-absturz-in-sachsen-todesopfer-und-vermisster-pilot-a-135182289.html] [3] [https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/bundeswehr-helicopter-absturz-101.html] [4] [https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article214279333/Bundeswehr-Helikopter-absturtzt-in-Sachsen-Todesopfer-und-vermisster-Pilot.html]
- The German Army, in particular the Bundeswehr, has temporarily grounded similar training flights as a precaution, following the crash of a rented EC-135 helicopter during a routine training flight in Grimma, Saxony, Germany.
- German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, a member of the SPD party from Berlin, has vowed a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident, expressing his condolences to the families and friends of the two confirmed dead crew members and the one still missing, and has thanked the search and rescue teams for their efforts in the ongoing recovery operations at the crash site, which remains not yet complete.
