Namibian air accident investigators are continuing their work into the crash of a Cessna 210 tourist aircraft that killed four people, including three German nationals linked to the Schwarz Group. The small single-engine aircraft, operated by local company Desert Air, disappeared during a domestic flight from Windhoek International Airport to a lodge near Sossusvlei.
The aircraft took off on a Sunday for an estimated one-hour sector to a private airstrip serving a popular desert tourism area. It never arrived. The wreckage was located the following morning, 11 May 2026, in a remote desert region. All four occupants – the pilot and three German passengers – were found dead. The German victims are identified as Silke Lohmiller, former head of the Dieter-Schwarz-Stiftung, her husband, and their son.
Namibia’s air accident investigation authority formally opened an investigation on 11 May 2026. Its acting director has stated that no timeline can be given for completion of the work and cautioned against expectations of rapid results. In line with international standards, an interim report will be issued if no final report is available within 12 months.
Investigators have not yet named any likely cause. No hypothesis related to technical failure, human factors, or weather has been confirmed at this stage, and key operational details of the flight and the aircraft’s recent technical history remain under review.