ČSA Flight 548

On 24 November 1956 the ČSA Czechoslovak Airlines Ilyushin Il-12B "OK-DBP" was an international scheduled passenger flight from Zürich to Prague. Shortly after take off from Zurich-Kloten Airport the airplane crashed 12 km north of the airport in a field near Eglisau and Wasterkingen, Switzerland. All 23 people on board were killed.

On the same day another international scheduled passenger flight crashed, the 1956 Paris DC-6 crash.

The crash is listed as one of the main flight accidents in Switzerland.

Flight and crash
The affected airplane of the crash was an Ilyushin Il-12 with tail number "OK-DBP". It was operated by ČSA Czechoslovak Airlines. The airplane was seven years old with its first flight in 1949. Earlier in the day on 24 November 1956, the airplane had already done a return flight from Prague to Zürich. During this return flight it was reported that the airplane had already had engine problems.

In the evening on 24 November 1956 the airplane departed again from Zurich-Kloten Airport for an international passenger flight from Zürich to Prague. Shortly after take-off the airplane experienced an engine failure. While attempting to return to the airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed with its nose first at 18:20 local time 12 km north of the airport in a field near Wasterkingen, Switzerland close to the German border. After hitting the ground the aircraft exploded. All 23 people on board were killed. Due to the impact a crater 10 metres wide and 3 meters deep was formed.

Soon after the crash, Czechoslovak aviation experts started an investigation.

Victims
There were 23 people on board the airplane: 18 passengers and 5 crew members. All 23 people were killed in the crash. The passengers consisted of 10 Chinese people, six Czech people and two Bolivian people. The pilot of the flight was Josef Plechatý.

Among the passengers were five people from the Czechoslovak ice hockey team TJ Baník Chomutov ZJF (now called Piráti Chomutov) and a reporter, playing in the highest national league, the Czechoslovak Extraliga. The team was on return after playing international matches in Switzerland. The team booked in a flight earlier, but the team was asked to give up some seats of their return flight. The six who changed to this flight were the club's founders, Stanislav Vaisochr, the chairman of the physical education unit Jan Výborný, goalkeeper Miroslav Pašek and forwards Zdeněk Nový and Ondřej Borovička and a reporter. Two of the three players were also players of the Czechoslovakia men's national ice hockey team: the 34 year old goalkeeper Miroslav Pašek and the 25 year old defender Zdeněk Nový.

The ten Chinese people were members of the China National Opera from Beijing. They were on return to China after an opera tour in Latin America and Western Europe.