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Small German-registered airplane crashes in Croatia, killing two

A two-seater motor glider en route from the Czech Republic went down in the Velebit mountains amid poor weather.

The short version

  • A German-registered Diamond HK36 Super Dimona motor glider crashed in Croatia's Velebit mountains near Zadar, killing both occupants.
  • The aircraft lost contact shortly after 4 p.m. local time on Friday while traveling from the Czech Republic.
  • A 35-member rescue team took roughly six hours to reach the rugged site due to heavy rain, strong winds, and dense fog.
  • Authorities have not yet released the identities or nationalities of the victims, though Czech officials stated they were not Czech citizens.

Key facts

  • A Diamond HK36 Super Dimona two-seater motor glider registered in Germany crashed in the Velebit mountains near Zadar, Croatia.[Deutsche Welle]
  • Both people aboard the aircraft died in the crash.[Deutsche Welle]
  • Communication with the plane ceased shortly after 4:00 p.m. local time while it was flying from the Czech Republic toward Zadar.[Deutsche Welle]
  • Adverse weather conditions, including thick fog reducing visibility to two meters, blocked the use of drones and extended the rescue team's trek to nearly six hours.[Deutsche Welle]
  • The Czech Foreign Ministry stated that neither of the victims was a Czech citizen.[Deutsche Welle]

What remains uncertain

  • The identities, nationalities, and specific cause of the crash have not yet been made public by investigators.[Deutsche Welle]

Sources