Draft:European Air Transport Flight 18D

European Air Transport Flight 18D was a scheduled cargo flight from Leipzig / Halle, Germany to Vilnius, Lithuania. Upon final approach to Vilnius international airport, on November 25, 2024, the aircraft misinterpreted a prescribed altitude given by Vilnius ATC (air traffic control), ultimately causing the flight to crash into a residential area 2500 meters from the foot of runway 19. One pilot and 2 individuals on the ground were killed as a result.

European Air Transport Flight 18D

EC-MFE, the aircraft involved in this incident
Accident
Date	November 25, 2024 (2024-11-25)
Summary	Miscommunication between crew and air traffic control leading to disorientation and uncorrected error in altitude
Site	Vilnius, Lithuania
Total fatalities	2
Total injuries	3
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Boeing 737-400F
Operator	Swift Air DHL
Registration	EC-MFE
Flight origin	Leipzig / Halle, Germany
Destination	Vilnius, Lithuania
Occupants	4
Passengers	1
Crew	3
Fatalities	1
Injuries	2
Survivors	2
Ground casualties
Ground fatalities	2

Background

The aircraft involved, manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, was a Boeing 737-400 manufactured in 6 Oct 1993, with a serial number of 24445. The aircraft was powered by two CFMI CFM56-3C1 turbofan engines. In January 2015, the aircraft was converted to a freighter configuration by Swiftair in order to be contracted to deliver DHL packages.

Before the day of the accident, the aircraft had landed at 12:14 AM local time at Leipzig airport to remain overnight. On November 25, 2024 the aircraft took off from Leipzig at 10:55 AM from runway 26L.

Accident

When the aircraft lined up to final approach, ATC cleared the aircraft to descend to 2700 ft, clearing them to land via instrument flight rules (IFR). Upon readback of the altimeter correction, the pilot communicating interpreted the calibration to be 1019 QNH instead of the 1020 QNH specified by approach. Neither the controller nor the pilot flying corrected this error. Additionally, later on when the aircraft communicated on tower frequency, the readback was incorrect, with the pilot stating 2300 ft instead of the 2700 ft approach he was cleared to. Adding further to the miscommunication, Vilnius approach provided the incorrect ATC frequency, with the aircraft also reading back the incorrect frequency. The frequency of Vilnius tower is 118.205, the given frequency was 118.5 and the read back by the pilot was 118.05. Due to this, it is probable that in the final moments of the accident, there was no communication between the aircraft and ground. EC-MFE crashed into a building in the residential area of Vilnius, Lithuania, killing 1 pilot, injuring 3 occupants of the aircraft and killing 1 on the ground.