Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel wird wegen eines technischen Defekts an dem Regierungsflugzeug "Konrad Adenauer" den Auftakt des G20-Gipfels im argentinischen Buenos Aires verpassen. Nach SPIEGEL-Informationen war die Panne dramatischer als bisher bekannt: Eine Stunde nach dem Start in Berlin war bei dem A340 der Luftwaffe das komplette Kommunikationssystem mit dem Boden ausgefallen. Ein solcher Vorfall gilt in der Luftfahrt als gefährlicher Notfall. Deswegen entschlossen sich die Piloten sofort, den Flug nach Argentinien abzubrechen. Zu dem Zeitpunkt befand sich die Maschine im Luftraum über den Niederlanden.

Nur mit einem Satellitentelefon an Bord gelang es der Crew des Regierungsfliegers, Kontakt zur Flugleitstelle aufzunehmen und die Landung auf dem Flughafen in Köln-Bonn zu planen. Ein solcher Ausfall der kompletten Kommunikationsanlage, die durch mehrere Ersatzsysteme abgesichert ist, kommt extrem selten vor. Der Grund des Ausfalls war bis zum späten Donnerstagabend unklar, hieß es in Bundeswehrkreisen.

Auf die erste Panne folgten weitere

Nach dieser ersten Panne sorgten dann gleich mehrere Faktoren dafür, dass Merkel nicht mehr rechtzeitig zum Auftakt des G20-Gipfels reisen kann.

Zwar steht für die Kanzlerin und den Bundespräsidenten routinemäßig eine Ersatzmaschine für den Fall von technischen Pannen zur Verfügung. Dieser Jet stand zur Zeit der Funkpanne jedoch in Berlin - und nicht in Köln. Ein Flug nach Berlin ohne Funkkontakt zum Boden erschien den Piloten zu gefährlich.

Als der A340 schließlich Köln anflog, gab es eine weitere unglückliche Panne. Weil der Flieger seit dem Start Berlin erst wenig Kerosin verbraucht hatte und im Anflug auf Köln wegen des Defekts der Funkanlage keinen Treibstoff ablassen konnte, war sein Landegewicht noch hoch. Die Folge: Das Bremssystem erhitzte sich bei der sogenannten "harten Landung" sehr stark. Nach der Landung musste also die Feuerwehr anrücken und die Passagiere inklusive der Kanzlerin noch 70 Minuten im Flieger abwarten.

Die Gesamtsituation war nach SPIEGEL-Informationen so brenzlig, dass Verteidigungsministerin Ursula von der Leyen schon nach dem Komplettausfall der Funkanlage informiert wurde. Über mehrere Stunden versuchte sie unter anderem bei europäischen Partner-Nationen, eine Ersatzmaschine für die Kanzlerin zu organisieren. Allerdings sind Langstreckenjets mit einer VIP-Ausstattung in der EU Mangelware.

Merkel verbrachte die Nacht nun in einem Bonner Hotel. Dort sagte sie über den Zwischenfall: "Ich kann nach den Ereignissen sagen, es gab eine ernsthafte Störung." Glücklicherweise sei an Bord eine exzellente Crew gewesen und der erfahrenste Kapitän der Flugbereitschaft.

Merkel soll nun am frühen Freitagmorgen mit einem anderen Flugzeug der Luftwaffe von Köln nach Madrid gebracht werden. Von dort fliegt sie dann gegen 9 Uhr mit einem Linienflug von Iberia nach Buenos Aires - kommt aber erst gegen 17.55 Uhr Ortszeit dort an. Mehr Hintergründe zum Gipfelprogramm erfahren Sie hier.

planestream: Reportage über Truppentransport der Flugbereitschaft</s>Image copyright AFP Image caption Chancellor Merkel returned to German soil far earlier than planned, carrying an umbrella in the Cologne rain

German Chancellor Angela Merkel missed the opening of the G20 summit in Argentina after her plane was forced to land shortly after leaving Berlin.

The plane carrying Mrs Merkel's team turned back while flying over the Netherlands late on Thursday, because of a communications failure.

The Airbus made a safe but unscheduled landing in Cologne.

Mrs Merkel flew to Madrid on Friday then boarded a scheduled Iberia airlines flight to Buenos Aires.

Among her fellow passengers on board the Iberia flight was Agustín Agüero, who tweeted a picture of the chancellor on board.

'Multiple system malfunction'

On Thursday evening the captain of Mrs Merkel's plane told those on board that he had decided to turn back after the "malfunction of several electronic systems".

The plane's communications system went down and the crew had to use a satellite phone to contact air traffic controllers, Germany's Spiegel website reported.

The problem is thought to have been with an electronic distribution box, which controls both the radio and discharge of aviation fuel. At no time was there any risk to the lives of passengers, a spokeswoman for Mrs Merkel stressed.

The German air force denied suggestions that the plane's electronics could have been sabotaged. "There's is absolutely no indication of a criminal background," a spokesman said.

'Overheated braking system'

An added problem for the plane was that Cologne airport's longer runway was unavailable, Spiegel added. As the A340 had to slow down quickly and it was still fully laden with fuel, its braking system overheated and the fire brigade met the plane on the tarmac.

The German delegation was kept on the plane for some time before officials decided to travel by bus to a hotel in Bonn.

Image copyright EPA Image caption The plane was met on the tarmac in Cologne by emergency vehicles

The chancellor and a smaller delegation including the finance minister travelled to Madrid on an air force plane on Friday morning before leaving for Argentina on an Iberia plane, a spokesman said.

Mrs Merkel's husband was among those on the initial flight who remained in Germany.

Although there is a standby government plane for long-haul flights, no crew was available to fly it, German media report.

Organising an alternative route proved a headache for the German government, as Mrs Merkel's entourage had to include several security officials.

Merkel misses key talks

The chancellor missed the "family photo" at the start of the G20 summit and officials were trying to reschedule planned bilateral meetings with national leaders.

German TV's satirical Heute Show tweeted an image showing three other G20 leaders arriving alongside an airport baggage hall, with the caption: "Merkel decided on an alternative arrival."

The chancellor had been due to have talks on Friday with President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping but was due to arrive in Buenos Aires only by early evening.

Amid the continuing crisis over Russia's seizure of 24 Ukrainian sailors, a spokeswoman in Berlin said the chancellor's meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Saturday would go ahead as planned. President Trump has cancelled a meeting with the Russian leader.

The Airbus A340-300 hit by technical failure is named Konrad Adenauer after West Germany's first post-war chancellor.

For finance minister Olaf Scholz, the plane's technical problems are nothing new.

In October he was on a trip to Indonesia when the plane was grounded because rodents had gnawed through electrical cables during an annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Last month, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived late for a trip to South Africa because one of the plane's engines would not start.</s>New Delhi, Nov 30: German Chancellor, Angela Merkel will not be able to attend the opening of the G20 Summit in Argentina after her plane Enroute to the summit made an emergency landing in Cologne on Thursday.

The Chancellery said in a statement that the official plane landed safely in Cologne following a technical problem.

Also Read | Angela Merkel will step down as chancellor in 2021: source

The Airbus A340-300, named Konrad Adenauer after Germany's first post war chancellor, was met on the tarmac by fire engines, the German news agency DPA said, adding that Merkel was waiting for a replacement plane to taker her to Buenos Aires. It also added that Merkel was waiting for a replacement plane to take her to the summit.</s>Angela Merkel's plane to the G20 Summit has been forced to make an emergency landing tonight.

The German Chancellor was travelling to Argentina but her plane has had to divert back to Cologne, it is understood.

The emergency landing happened just one hour into the 15-hour journey.

It is believed the "technical problem" relates to a communication device on board the plane. Crews are understood to be replacing the machine on the tarmac.

Local media reports Merkel's plane is an Airbus A340-313X VIP nicknamed the "Konrad Adenauer" after the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, from 1949 to 1963.

Merkel will be late to the Argentinian capital, German media also reports.

Attention at the meeting is expected to focus on issues including a trade war between the US and China.

Heads of state from Italy, Canada, South Korea, Singapore and Turkey have already arrived in Buenos Aires.

Theresa May is expected to tell world leaders the Brexit deal she has reached with the EU will be good for the global economy as she uses a international gathering to push her "global Britain" message.

She becomes the first serving UK Prime Minister to visit the Argentine capital, and only the second to travel to the country, following a Tony Blair trip over the border from Brazil in 2001.</s>Merkel will leave for Madrid on Friday and head on a commercial flight for Buenos Aires with a slimmed down delegation.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will miss the opening of the G20 summit in Argentina. (Photo: File | AP)

Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel will miss the opening of the G20 summit in Argentina after her plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Cologne on Thursday due to a technical problem, her spokeswoman said.

"We will not be proceeding today," she told AFP.

According to tweets by German journalists on board the Airbus A340, named Konrad Adenauer after Germany's first post-war chancellor, Merkel will leave for Madrid on Friday and head on a commercial flight for Buenos Aires with a slimmed down delegation.

The Chancellery did not confirm these reports.

A senior journalist with the public national television ZDF said Merkel would spend Thursday night in Bonn.

The plane turned back from the Netherlands and landed in Cologne because it was the only base with a replacement aircraft, the DPA news agency said.

It was met on the tarmac by fire engines, DPA said, adding that the captain told the passengers the plane would have to turn back as a technical problem was disrupting several electrical systems.</s>German Chancellor Angela Merkel's plane headed to the G20 summit in Argentina made an emergency landing in Germany due to a technical problem.

The Airbus A340 government aircraft carrying Merkel and the German delegation to Buenos Aires was forced to land shortly after taking off from Berlin on Thursday.

The plane turned around over the Netherlands about an hour into the flight before landing in Cologne.

'Following a technical problem, the official plane landed safely in Cologne,' the Chancellery said.

A replacement German air force plane is being prepared to carry Merkel and her entourage to the G20 meeting that starts on Friday.

It was not immediately clear when a new aircraft would arrive to continue the 15-hour flight to Argentina.

The captain told passengers aboard the plane he decided to switch aircraft at the Cologne-Bonn airport in northwestern Germany after the 'malfunction of several electronic systems.'

He said there had been no security risk.

Meanwhile, heads of state from Italy, Canada, South Korea, Singapore and Turkey were among the first to arrive in Buenos Aires, joining French president Emmanuel Macron Macron and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, who arrived the previous day.

At the summit, Merkel planned to hold bilateral meetings with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping, India's Narendra Modi, Australia's Scott Morrison and Argentina's president Mauricio Macri, senior German officials said

She is preparing to leave politics after announcing last month she would give up leadership of her party, a post she has held since 2000.</s>German Chancellor Angela Merkel's plane, headed for the G20 summit in Argentina, made an emergency landing in Cologne on Thursday due to a technical problem, the Chancellery said.

"Following a technical problem, the official plane landed safely in Cologne," it said, without indicating when she could leave again.

The Airbus A340-300, named Konrad Adenauer after Germany's first post war chancellor, was met on the tarmac by fire engines, the German news agency DPA said, adding that Merkel was waiting for a replacement plane to taker her to Buenos Aires.

The plane turned back from the Netherlands and landed in Cologne because it was the only base with a a replacement plane, the news agency said.</s>German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s journey to Buenos Aires for this weekend’s G20 summit was interrupted on Thursday after the government’s “Konrad Adenauer” Airbus airplane experienced “electronic problems” mid-flight, German media reports.

According to DW, shortly after departing from Berlin on Thursday evening, the plane circled over the Netherlands and landed at the Cologne/Bonn airport in western Germany, which is also home base for the German government’s aircraft.

Merkel, who was also traveling with Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and a pool of journalists, hoped to switch into a replacement plane at the airport, but it is unclear how the travel interruption will affect the chancellor’s attendance at the G20 summit which is due to start tomorrow.

The pilot informed the chancellor and other passengers that a technical defect had caused several electronic systems on the Airbus A340-300 to fail, reported news agency DPA.

This is not the first time Germany has had problems with “made in Europe” airplanes: Issues with the government’s A340 jets also caused travel problems for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier during several of his diplomatic trips this year.</s>Don’t cry for me, Argentina. With a 14-hour delay, a mini-delegation and no husband, German chancellor Angela Merkel left for Buenos Aires on Friday morning, missing the first day of the G20 summit after a dramatic night in the skies.

The chancellor’s plane made an emergency landing in Cologne on Thursday evening after an electronic fault caused a complete communications system failure.

A series of unfortunate events followed: the plane was unable to dump its fuel for the 12,000km journey and the main runway in Cologne was not available. That meant the “Konrad Adenauer” government jet – a modified Airbus A340 – was forced into a hard landing on a shorter runway, with fire crews on hand to monitor the overheated brakes.

“After the events I can say there was a serious defect,” said Dr Merkel on arrival.

The only suitable replacement plane was in Berlin, but another crew was not available to continue the journey. So, after a short night’s sleep in a four-star Cologne hotel, the chancellor took a commercial flight from Madrid to Argentina.

Her air odyssey began an hour after the government jet left Berlin at 8pm. German television journalist Bettina Schausten was sitting with other travelling press in a background briefing with Dr Merkel when the problem arose.

“Someone from the air crew came in and said, ‘Madam Chancellor, please come, it’s important’, which was clearly different to normal,” said Schausten on her home station, ZDF. “We learned that the on-board electronic system had failed. The mood onboard was not fearful or agitated, the captain promised a safe landing and everything ended up fine.”

After online conspiracy theories began to build, government officials insisted on Friday the problems was a “classic failure of a component that could happen at any time”.

Commander Guido Heinrich, head of the German air force VIP squadron, said the failed component was responsible for the emergency electricity supply.

This failure – considered extremely rare in aviation circles – meant that radio communications were inoperable, leaving a satellite phone as the only means of communication with air traffic control, as were controls to dump excess fuel as usual in the case of emergency landings.

After landing with a near-full tank, Dr Merkel and other passengers had to spend 70 minutes on board until the brakes had cooled.

German government jets have had a run of bad luck recently. Last month finance minister Olaf Scholz was left stranded in Bali after rats ate through a government jet’s on-board cables.

“The air force is certainly no poster boy if it’s unable to get the chancellor to a summit,” said Ms Schausten. “I think the chancellor has already prepared herself for some ribbing.”

After wild days and mad existence in power, Dr Merkel – who stands down as leader of her party next Friday – was determined to reach Buenos Aires for the G20 summit dinner, and hopefully catch up on missed bilaterals.

Her message en route to US and Chinese presidents: I kept my promise, don’t keep your distance.</s>German Chancellor Angela Merkel's journey to Buenos Aires for this weekend's G20 summit was interrupted on Thursday after the government's "Konrad Adenauer" Airbus airplane experienced "electronic problems" mid-flight, German media report.

Merkel’s plane had to return after just an hour into the 15-hour flight to Buenos Aires after experiencing a technical malfunction.

According to DW, shortly after departing from Berlin on Thursday evening, the plane circled over the Netherlands and landed at the Cologne/Bonn airport in western Germany, which is also home base for the German government's aircraft.

Merkel, who was also traveling with Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and a pool of journalists, hoped to switch into a replacement plane at the airport, but it is unclear how the travel interruption will affect the chancellor's attendance at the G20 summit which is due to start tomorrow, and where Merkel is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Syria and Ukraine, including the recent incident in the Kerch Strait.

The pilot informed the chancellor and other passengers that a technical defect had caused several electronic systems on the Airbus A340-300 to fail, reported news agency DPA.

This is not the first time Germany has had problems with "made in Europe" airplanes: Issues with the government's A340 jets also caused travel problems for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier during several of his diplomatic trips this year.
An emergency landing delays German chancellor Angela Merkel's arrival at the summit due to a complete shutdown of the onboard-ground communication system aboard the official Airbus A340-313 Konrad Adenauer.