plane crash
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plane crash
An accident in which an airplane crashes to the ground in an uncontrolled way.
Die Nachrichten berichteten live von der Unglücksstelle des Flugzeugabsturzes.
The news reported live from the scene of the plane crash.
The word is made up of 'Flugzeug' (airplane) and 'Absturz' (crash). The 's' in between is a linking s that connects the two words. The meaning is literal: the crash of an airplane.
Die Ursache für den Flugzeugabsturz ist noch unklar.
The cause of the plane crash is still unclear.
The base word 'Absturz' (crash) belongs to the verb 'abstürzen' (to crash). If you know the verb, you can easily work out the meaning of the noun.
Gestern ist in den Alpen ein kleines Flugzeug abgestürzt.
Yesterday, a small plane crashed in the Alps.
Common phrases are 'einen Flugzeugabsturz überleben' (to survive a plane crash) or 'bei einem Flugzeugabsturz ums Leben kommen' (to die in a plane crash). These expressions are typical in news and reports.
Wie durch ein Wunder hat der Pilot den Flugzeugabsturz überlebt.
As if by a miracle, the pilot survived the plane crash.
crash / fall
'der Absturz' and 'der Flugzeugabsturz' can both mean a serious accident involving an airplane. 'der Flugzeugabsturz' is more specific: it always refers to an airplane crashing to the ground in an uncontrolled way. 'der Absturz' is more general and, depending on the context, can also mean other things, for example a technical system crash or a sharp decline. Learners may confuse the words because 'Absturz' is also used for airplanes in the news. If the context is not clear, 'Flugzeugabsturz' is more precise.
Der Flugzeugabsturz wurde am Abend in den Nachrichten gemeldet.
The plane crash was reported on the evening news.
Nach dem Absturz des Computers musste Tom die Datei noch einmal öffnen.
After the computer crash, Tom had to open the file again.