Ventilation device for artificial respiration with - a breathing gas source, - a ventilation line arrangement extending between the breathing gas source and a patient-side proximal end, - a valve assembly (20, 22) comprising an inspiratory valve and an expiratory valve, - a flow sensor arrangement (44, 48) for the quantitative detection of a gas flow in the ventilation line arrangement comprising a distal flow sensor located farther from the patient end of the ventilation line arrangement and a proximal flow sensor located closer to the patient end of the ventilation line arrangement, and with - a control device at least for processing measurement signals of the flow sensor arrangement (44, 48), wherein the control device is adapted to error detection based on measurement signals of the distal or/and the proximal sensor, wherein the control device is adapted to detect an error of the flow sensor arrangement (44, 48) based on a comparison of a change value (62, 76) of a measurement signal (54, 58, 68, 72) of one flow sensor out of the distal flow sensor and the proximal flow sensor with - a change value (60, 74) of a measurement signal (52, 56, 66, 70) of the respective other flow sensor or/and with - a measurement signal (54, 58, 68, 72) of the one flow sensor, characterized in that the control device is adapted to detect an error of the flow sensor arrangement (44, 48) when - a ratio of a sum value of consecutively occurring change values (62, 76) of the measurement signal (54, 58, 68, 72) of the proximal flow sensor to a first reference variable exceeds a predetermined reference threshold value, and - a ratio of a sum value of consecutively occurring change values (60, 74) of the measurement signal (52, 56, 66, 70) of the distal flow sensor to a second reference variable falls below a predetermined reference threshold value. - a breathing gas source, - a ventilation line arrangement extending between the breathing gas source and a patient-side proximal end, - a valve assembly (20, 22) comprising an inspiratory valve and an expiratory valve, - a flow sensor arrangement (44, 48) for the quantitative detection of a gas flow in the ventilation line arrangement comprising a distal flow sensor located farther from the patient end of the ventilation line arrangement and a proximal flow sensor located closer to the patient end of the ventilation line arrangement, and with - a control device at least for processing measurement signals of the flow sensor arrangement (44, 48), wherein the control device is adapted to error detection based on measurement signals of the distal or/and the proximal sensor, - a change value (60, 74) of a measurement signal (52, 56, 66, 70) of the respective other flow sensor or/and with - a measurement signal (54, 58, 68, 72) of the one flow sensor, - a ratio of a sum value of consecutively occurring change values (62, 76) of the measurement signal (54, 58, 68, 72) of the proximal flow sensor to a first reference variable exceeds a predetermined reference threshold value, and - a ratio of a sum value of consecutively occurring change values (60, 74) of the measurement signal (52, 56, 66, 70) of the distal flow sensor to a second reference variable falls below a predetermined reference threshold value.