It was sad that his son, the cinematographer Michael Grzimek died on-location during the filming of the documentary. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1959.
On January 10 1959 the plane (Dornier Do 27) piloted by Michael collided with a vulture and he lost control over it.
A vulture
The crashed plane
Michael was killed in the crash. He was buried the same day on the top of the Ngorongoro Crater. Later the government of Tanzania erected a stone pyramid over his grave. Bernhard Grzimek was buried there after his death in 1987 as well.
Michael and Bernhard Grzimek
Pyramid of the father and son
To make the plane look natural to the animals it was painted with zebra stripes pattern.
The Grzimek's Dornier Do 27 can now be seen in Deutschen Technikmuseum Berlin.
General characteristics
Crew: 1 or 2
Capacity: 4-6 passengers
Length: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 12 m (39 ft 5 in)
Height: 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 19.4 m² (208.7 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,073 kg (2,365 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 1,850 kg (4,080 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Lycoming GO-480-B1A6 6-cylinder piston engine, 201 kW (270 hp)
Performance
Never exceed speed: 333 km/h (180 kn, 207 mph)
Maximum speed: 232 km/h (125 kn, 144 mph)
Cruise speed: 211 km/h (114 kn, 131 mph)
Stall speed: 74 km/h (40 kn, 46 mph)
Range: 1,287 km (695 nmi, 800 mi)
Service ceiling: 3,290 m (10,800 ft)
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