As fighter jets scrambled, a Cessna 551 private plane carrying a family crashed into the Baltic Sea.
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Four people are feared dead after a private jet crashed into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Latvia. The plane took off from Jerez in southern Spain without a set destination.
A plane carrying a pilot, a woman, a man, and their daughter went down in mysterious circumstances during its erratic flight. German and Danish war planes were sent to inspect the aircraft, but could not make contact. The aircraft took off from Jerez in southern Spain, turned twice, and headed straight out over the Baltic, passing near the Swedish island of Gotland. The plane crashed in the ocean north-west of Ventspils in Latvia, and has disappeared from the radar, according to a spokesperson for Sweden’s rescue service.
A Lithuanian air force helicopter was dispatched to the crash site, and Latvia sent ships to the scene. A Stena Line ferry was also redirected to the crash site, and a Swedish search and rescue helicopter and airplane were also at the site.
The Austrian-registered aircraft was cruising at FL360, or 36,000 feet, when it continued on a direct track across Germany and out into the Baltic Sea. A plane with 4 passengers on board was intercepted over German airspace. A passenger was seen gesturing to Air Force personnel. News sources are reporting that four persons were on board the aircraft, and that the pilot had previously reported problems with the aircraft’s cabin pressurization system. A private Scandlines commercial vessel is leaving the crash site after helping with the search.
What we know so far
A plane crashed north-west of Ventspils in Latvia, and Swedish rescue service said it had disappeared from the radar. German and Danish warplanes had tried to inspect the aircraft but were unable to make contact.
A Lithuanian air force helicopter was dispatched to the crash site, and a Stena Line ferry was also redirected to the site.
NATO fighter aircraft took off to follow the plane, but no one was visible in the cockpit, a Lithuanian airforce spokesperson told Reuters.
