Sad farewell: Clinic director dies in the plane crash!

Sad farewell: Clinic director dies in the plane crash!

On March 23, 2025, there was a tragic plane crash in the Rhein-Sieg district, in which the well-known clinic director Professor Dr. Jochen Hinkelbein died. The 51-year-old was director of the university clinic for anesthesiology, intensive and emergency medicine at the Johannes-Wesling-Klinikum in Minden and was very regarded there before his death. The crash site was on a field near Sankt Augustin, where the small aircraft, with the Hinkelbein and his 6-year-old daughter, crashed from Hangelar airfield.

At the beginning of the flight, Hinkelbein reported motor problems. A short time later, the small plane broke apart in the air and immediately went up in flames when it opened on the ground. While Hinkelbein died on the impact, his daughter was able to save himself from the wreck seriously injured and was immediately taken to the hospital. The exact cause of the crash is currently still unclear.

career and life path

dr. Jochen Hinkelbein was not only a successful doctor, but also a passionate pilot. As a teenager, he already acquired the dream of flying and got his private pilot license for his 18th birthday. His medical career was long and remarkable: since 2023 he has been a professor of emergency medicine at the Ruhr University Bochum. Before that, he worked as a managing senior physician and area -leading senior physician for emergency medicine at the University Hospital Cologne, where he worked from 2010 to 2022

Hinkelbein lived in Cologne and was previously active for the Cologne fire brigade as an emergency doctor. In addition, he worked as an astronaut applicant in 2008 at the European Space Organization (ESA) and later trained astronauts there. His outstanding career and the many ways of life left a lasting impression in the medical community.

reactions and grief

The message about Hinkelbein's death triggered deep grief. Both the Mühlenkreiskliniken and the Kölsche Funzentöter association from 1932 e.V. expressed their sympathy and their shock about the loss. On Instagram, the mill circle clinics confirmed the sad news and emphasized the great merits that Hinkelbein had done for the clinics and the region.

The emergency doctors and emergency services that hurried to the scene of the accident were affected by the severity of the accident. Three rescue helicopters, including the renowned Christoph Rheinland, were sent to the scene of the accident, but could no longer do anything for the fallen pilot.

In memory of Dr. Jochen Hinkelbein will remember his commitment to emergency medicine and his passion for flying. His sudden death leaves a painful gap not only in his family, but also in the whole medical community. The loss of such a remarkable person goes far beyond the tragic aviation accident.