A private Cessna plane with four people disappeared on Sunday around 11:30 am between Slunj and Rakovica, reports Telegram.hr. It was flying from Split to Germany, and the Croatian Air Navigation Services informed the Civil Protection Operations Center about its disappearance north of Rakovica.
Image: Directorate of Civil Protection/Official Website
The latest update by the Directorate of Civil Protection was released today at 12:00 pm:
After an intensive search for a Cessna aircraft, which, despite adverse weather conditions, lasted almost 23 hours, today at 10:50 a drone spotted the remains of the aircraft (wing, tail, cabin parts) at a location south of Bročanska kosa, and immediately after the report, ground teams were sent to confirm the discovery. Police secured the area.
Unfortunately, it was confirmed that all passengers of the CESSNA aircraft were killed, and a police investigation follows.
We hereby, on behalf of the Directorate of Civil Protection and all operational forces, express our condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
Since the report of the Croatian Air Navigation Services, which yesterday, May 29 at 11:40 am, informed the Civil Protection Operations Center about the missing aircraft north of Rakovica at an altitude of up to 2300 feet, and after the prompt reaction of the Civil Protection Operations Center and about 400 people took part in the search. 38 teams of 10 people were formed, consisting of members of the State Intervention Unit for Civil Protection, HGSS, police, firefighters, and hunters who know the terrain and provided useful information. Each team searched an area of approximately 30 ha of demanding and difficult-to-access terrain. Since part of the area also refers to the Slunj military range, the Croatian Army is also involved in coordinating the search.
The entire search was coordinated by the Directorate of Civil Protection, which formed the Operational Base with a command communication vehicle on the site and, in addition to manpower (26 members of the SEC CZ and 7 RCZ employees), provided logistical support (a total of 13 drones – 10 HGSS- of these and 3 SEC CZ).
We thank everyone for their prompt and professional response.
According to the police, the pilot was Swiss, and the passengers were two German citizens and one person with Croatian citizenship.
Head of Directorate of Civil Protection, Damir Trut. (Image: Directorate of Civil Protection/Official website)
The head of the Civil Protection in the Republic of Croatia, Damir Trut, gave further information at a press conference.
Trut indicated that the search task is over. “As soon as the aircraft was found from the air, the police secured the space. Unfortunately, all the passengers of the aircraft were killed. I express my condolences to family and friends”, said Trut.
Trut said about 400 people were looking for the Cessna aircraft and that hunters who provided local information were also involved. He said that the entire search was managed by the Directorate of Civil Protection with the help of the HGSS, and thanked everyone. “This was a difficult, not an easy action, the area was demanding, wooded and hilly and without the drones that were in the ten teams it would have been harder”.
Where exactly was it found?
He said that an investigation is now underway. He also said it will all take time and will not be completed today. The plane was said to have been found in a field with lots of sinkholes, with wet ground.
“It is near Broćanska Kosa, a few hundred meters south. As far as I know, the plane does not have a black box”, said Trut. He added that the weather conditions were not good for flying. He also said that the pilot called the Pula flight control and told them that he had problems. So far, he could not provide details about the victims.
A private Cessna plane with four people disappeared on Sunday around 11:30 am between Slunj and Rakovica. It flew from Split to Germany, and the Croatian Air Navigation Services informed the Civil Protection Operations Center about its disappearance north of Rakovica. The Directorate of Civil Protection of the Ministry of the Interior announced that the plane disappeared when it was at an altitude of about 700 meters.
This story is developing.
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