Two dead after light aircraft crash
A light aircraft crashed into the roof of an agricultural college on Wednesday in the north of Klagenfurt. The 56-year-old pilot and his 41-year-old passenger both died at the crash site.
Both are reported to be from Carinthia but their names have not yet been released.
The ORF reports that the plane may have been a training aircraft, and that the victims were possibly a flight instructor and his student, but this has not been confirmed by police.
The Red Cross reported that a loud crash was heard at around 2pm as the plane flew into the roof of the Ehrental agricultural college, lodging itself in the attic which serves as a student lounge. Fortunately no teachers or students were in the room at the time.
The aircraft, a Pipistrel Alpha Trainer, was flying over Klagenfurt towards the airport. It was only a few hundred metres from the runway when it crashed. Aviation experts said it was probably travelling too slowly and stalled.
Firefighters and a Red Cross team arrived at the crash site within minutes of the accident but tragically it was too late for the pilot and passenger. One had already died and the second man died shortly after the rescue team arrived. They had tried to deploy their rescue parachutes but didn’t have enough time.
Martin Zmug of the Klagenfurt fire brigade told the ORF that kerosene from the plane was leaking into the roof and that firefighters had to act quickly to prevent a fire.
Around 40 students were in the school at the time. None of them were harmed but they are being treated for shock and trauma. The school is directly under the flight path to the airport.
The wreckage of the aircraft was removed by crane on Wednesday evening.
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Both are reported to be from Carinthia but their names have not yet been released.
The ORF reports that the plane may have been a training aircraft, and that the victims were possibly a flight instructor and his student, but this has not been confirmed by police.
The Red Cross reported that a loud crash was heard at around 2pm as the plane flew into the roof of the Ehrental agricultural college, lodging itself in the attic which serves as a student lounge. Fortunately no teachers or students were in the room at the time.
The aircraft, a Pipistrel Alpha Trainer, was flying over Klagenfurt towards the airport. It was only a few hundred metres from the runway when it crashed. Aviation experts said it was probably travelling too slowly and stalled.
Firefighters and a Red Cross team arrived at the crash site within minutes of the accident but tragically it was too late for the pilot and passenger. One had already died and the second man died shortly after the rescue team arrived. They had tried to deploy their rescue parachutes but didn’t have enough time.
Martin Zmug of the Klagenfurt fire brigade told the ORF that kerosene from the plane was leaking into the roof and that firefighters had to act quickly to prevent a fire.
Around 40 students were in the school at the time. None of them were harmed but they are being treated for shock and trauma. The school is directly under the flight path to the airport.
The wreckage of the aircraft was removed by crane on Wednesday evening.
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