4 June 2018
Two people were killed when a Magnus eFusion electric aircraft crashed last week. The accident happened near the home airfield of Magnus Aircraft Pécs-Pógany in southern Hungary, where the company recently opened expanded premises.
No cause for the accident has been identified yet. A police spokesman is reported to have said, “The electric-powered plane took off at 10am, flew two laps [circuits] and then crashed for unknown reasons.” The aircraft appears to have caught fire during the crash. The pilot and passenger have not been named.
Siemens is working with Magnus Aircraft on the eFusion project. The aircraft first flew a year ago and was set to be the first electric aircraft to go into serial production. Magnus was looking for five ‘ambassadors’ to help with the test programme.
The Magnus eFusion on display at this year’s AERO in Friedrichshafen. Top: the eFusion with another Magnus project, the hybrid-electric eFusion, flying at AERO.
Siemens issued this statement:
“We can confirm that an accident happened to an experimental airplane featuring our electric propulsion unit. However, please do understand that we cannot comment on eventual causes or any circumstances at this point of time. We are working closely together with the authorities to clarify the cause of the accident.
“Our thoughts are with the families of the casualties.
“As a precautionary measure we decided to ground the Magnus eFusion aircraft fleet until we know the cause of this tragic accident.”
2 comments
“The aircraft first flew a year ago and was set to be the first electric aircraft to go into serial production”
Not really possible. The Pipistrel Alpha Electro is already in serial production, not to mention electric sailplanes like the Antares 23E, Pipistrel Taurus Electro, Silent 2 Electro, LAK 17 FES…
You are forgetting Thomas B that in the world of alternative facts, Airbus were the first to cross the Channel with an electric aeroplane in the eFan, and America invented the first electronic computer.