Bodies had to be airlifted from a steep mountain gorge with ropes and drones
On May 10th, a small Desert Air plane carrying a German family and their pilot disappeared into the ancient silence of Namibia's desert mountains near Sossusvlei, leaving no survivors. Nearly four weeks later, after an extraordinary recovery effort through near-impassable terrain, DNA testing confirmed the identities of all four victims — the Lohmiller family and pilot Martin Funck — allowing their remains to begin the long journey home to Germany. The work of understanding why the aircraft fell remains open, a question now shared between two nations and the quiet persistence of investigators.
- A plane vanishes into a steep mountain gorge in one of Earth's most remote landscapes, and for days the terrain itself refuses to give up what it holds.
- Special reserve forces, ropes, drones, and helicopters are all required before the four victims can be recovered — a logistical ordeal stretching across nearly two weeks.
- International cooperation becomes essential: German authorities supply DNA profiles, and the pilot's son flies to Namibia to submit his own sample in person.
- On June 3rd, formal identification is confirmed for all four — Silke, Richard, and Henry Lohmiller, and pilot Martin Funck — and their remains are released for repatriation.
- The cause of the crash remains unknown, with Namibian and German aviation investigators now formally joined in a process that may take months to reach any conclusion.
On May 10th, a Desert Air flight carrying five people disappeared en route from Windhoek to Sossusvlei. By the next day, the wreckage had been located — and with it, the confirmation that no one had survived.
What followed was a recovery effort defined less by bureaucracy than by geography. The aircraft had come down near a mountain peak, wedged into a gorge so steep and treacherous that conventional access was nearly impossible. Police first reached the site on May 11th but could do little. Specialized reserve forces arrived two days later and worked the ground for two days before a helicopter was brought in on May 15th. The three male victims were recovered from the wreckage itself; finding the fourth required ropes and drones before she too could be airlifted out.
With the remains transported to Windhoek, the formal identification process began — one that required cooperation across borders. German authorities provided DNA profiles for the family members. The pilot's son traveled to Namibia to submit a sample himself. When results returned, there was no ambiguity: the victims were Silke Lohmiller, Richard Lohmiller, their son Henry, and pilot Martin Funck.
On June 3rd, Deputy Police Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi announced the formal confirmation, and the bodies were released to undertakers for repatriation to Germany. The question of what caused the aircraft to fall — mechanical failure, weather, something else — remains unanswered, now in the hands of a joint Namibian-German investigation team that may take months to reach any conclusion.
On May 10th, a small aircraft carrying five people vanished somewhere between Windhoek and the vast red dunes of Sossusvlei. By the following day, Desert Air's chief executive confirmed what no one wanted to hear: the plane had been found, and there were no survivors.
It took nearly four weeks for authorities to formally clear the four bodies for their journey home to Germany. On June 3rd, Namibia's deputy police commissioner Kauna Shikwambi announced that DNA testing had confirmed the identities of all four victims: Silke Lohmiller, Richard Lohmiller, their son Henry, and pilot Martin Funck. The bodies were being released to funeral undertakers for repatriation, though no timeline was given for when they would actually depart.
The delay was not bureaucratic indifference. The crash site itself had made recovery a feat of logistics and endurance. The aircraft had gone down near the peak of a mountain, wedged into a steep gorge with terrain so treacherous that walking in was nearly impossible. When the aircraft investigation unit and police first searched the area on May 11th—the day after the crash—they found the wreckage but faced immediate obstacles. It wasn't until May 13th that police special reserve forces arrived to begin systematic searching. For two days they worked the difficult ground. Then, on May 15th, a helicopter was brought in.
The three male bodies were recovered first from the crash site itself. Finding the fourth victim required different methods. Searchers deployed ropes and drones, methodically working the gorge until the female passenger could be located and airlifted out by helicopter. Only then could the remains be transported to Windhoek for the formal identification process that would take another two weeks.
The DNA testing itself was straightforward in procedure but required international cooperation. German authorities provided the DNA profiles of the deceased family members. The pilot's son traveled to Namibia in person to submit a sample. Once the results came back, there was no ambiguity—four people, four confirmed identities, four families with answers.
Meanwhile, the investigation into what caused the crash continues. Ten days after the accident, Namibia's Directorate of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation announced that international representatives would join the effort. The directorate has now established formal coordination with Germany's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and representatives from the aircraft's manufacturer. Both countries have appointed accredited investigators to the team. The work of determining why the aircraft went down—mechanical failure, pilot error, weather, something else entirely—remains incomplete, and may take months or longer to resolve.
Citas Notables
They faced challenges due to the crash site's location near the peak of a mountain in a steep gorge characterised by high elevation and treacherous terrain.— Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, Namibian Police
The bodies are being released to funeral undertakers for repatriation to Germany.— Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, Namibian Police
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why did it take nearly four weeks just to identify the bodies and clear them for repatriation?
The identification itself—the DNA testing—was relatively quick once the bodies reached Windhoek. But getting them out of that gorge took time. The crash site was in a mountain peak in steep terrain. You couldn't just walk in and carry people out.
So the delay was all about the recovery operation?
Mostly, yes. They found the aircraft on May 11th, but it took until May 15th before a helicopter could even reach the site. The first three bodies came out relatively intact. The fourth required ropes and drones to locate in the gorge. That's not fast work.
And once they had the bodies in Windhoek, the DNA testing was straightforward?
It was. German authorities had already provided profiles for the family members. The pilot's son came in person to give a sample. The testing confirmed everything. But you can't release bodies for repatriation until you're absolutely certain of identity. That's not a step you rush.
What happens now with the investigation?
That's separate from the identification. German and Namibian investigators are now working together to figure out why the plane went down. That could take months. The bodies going home doesn't change that work—it just means the families can begin their own process of grieving while the authorities figure out what happened.
Do we know anything about what caused the crash yet?
Not yet. The investigation is still ongoing. They've only just cleared the bodies for repatriation. The real work of determining cause—mechanical failure, weather, pilot error—that's just beginning.