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There were two people on board the ill-fated plane. © Florian Wiegand/dpa
A small plane crashes near Giessen. Both prisoners died in hospital. The investigation is ongoing.
Update from Thursday, June 25, 9:46 a.m.: Two people were killed in a light aircraft crash at a glider airfield in Pohlheim, central Hesse. This incident deeply shocked the club community. “It’s a shock for everyone,” club boss Rainer Pauli told dpa. The 69-year-old pilot, who died in the crash along with his 56-year-old companion, was personally known to Pauli – as an experienced pilot and a long-time member of the Steinkopf glider flying team.
“Perhaps there will be a memorial event to deal with the situation,” Pauli said. “Pastoral Care has offered to accompany us and we will take advantage of it.
Airplane wreckage found in grain field
When the crash happened Tuesday morning, Pauley said he was on the property and witnessed the crash firsthand. According to the head of the club, the initial purpose of the flight was to record the noise level of the aircraft’s propeller. Pauli said that after takeoff, the pilot first made a full circle around the area. When the 69-year-old tried to land after passing the measuring point, the engine suddenly failed – “and we don’t know why,” Pauli said.
Pauli believes it is possible that the pilot attempted to land without engine support, a maneuver that is possible in principle and designed for this type of aircraft. Instead, the plane suddenly lost altitude and crashed. Pauli estimated the fall height to be between 30 and 70 meters; A police spokesman previously said the distance was between 100 and 150 metres, based on witness statements.
The plane landed in a grain field directly next to the glider airfield’s runway. Both the pilot from Hesse and his companion from North Rhine-Westphalia were found lifeless in the wreckage, police said. Emergency services personnel and paramedics immediately began resuscitation efforts. Both were taken to hospitals but died from their injuries shortly after arrival. The cause of the crash is now being determined by experts from the Federal Aircraft Accident Investigation Council. According to police, immediate results are not expected.
A small plane crashed in Central Hesse. © Florian Wiegand/dpa
Two people died in a plane crash near Giessen: investigation continues
Update from Wednesday, June 24, 12:30: After a small plane crashed at a glider airfield in Pohlheim, central Hesse, killing two people, the cause is under investigation. The Federal Office for Air Accident Investigation is responsible for this, but quick results are not expected, a police spokesman told the German Press Agency.
The crash killed a 69-year-old pilot from Hesse and his 56-year-old companion from North Rhine-Westphalia. According to eyewitnesses, on Tuesday morning the plane crashed into a grain field from a height of approximately 100-150 meters, a department spokesman said. There was no additional information.
Rescuers and emergency services found two men lifeless in the wreckage of the plane and immediately began resuscitation efforts, according to police. Emergency services rushed the men to hospitals, where they soon died from serious injuries.
Plane crash near Giessen: both passengers died
Update from Tuesday, June 23, 16:47: After a small plane crashed in Pohlheim, central Hesse, two passengers on the plane died in hospitals. The police reported this.
Update from Tuesday, June 23, 2:50 p.m.: A glider crashed near the airfield on Tuesday morning in Watzenborn-Steinberg in the Giessen region (see initial report). As it now turns out, both passengers were seriously injured.
The glider crashed in the Giessen area. © Alexander Stripling
The plane crash occurred around 11:30. Several witnesses who were at the airport immediately called the emergency number 112. The emergency services of the Pohlheim volunteer fire department were the first to arrive on the scene – they found two lifeless people under the rubble and began resuscitation measures, until a few minutes later several ambulance doctors and paramedics from the Central Hesse rescue service took over the rescue operation.
Two lifeless people found in the wreckage of a plane crash in Central Hesse
An ADAC air rescue helicopter was also at the scene. The current health status of the two people involved in the accident is unknown. Both were taken to the University Hospital of Giessen.
The aircraft is a self-launching glider with a folding propeller. It remains unclear whether the plane crashed on approach or shortly after takeoff. Much of the scene was cordoned off because it was unclear whether the debris or the engine could still pose a hazard. The incident is being investigated by police and experts from the Federal Air Accident Investigation Council.
In total, 40 emergency services from the Pohlheim fire station, four emergency doctors, several ambulance crews, an ADAC helicopter and police were on duty. The investigation is ongoing.
Plane crash in the Giessen area: large-scale operation by emergency services at a glider airfield
First report from Tuesday, June 23, 13:41: A small plane crashed at a glider airfield in the Watzenborn-Steinberg area of Pohlheim (Giessen district) on Tuesday, June 23. This was reported by the Central Hesse Police Department.
The rescue operation continues. No additional information about the circumstances of the disaster and possible casualties was initially available. The investigation is still in its early stages.
Pohlheim is located in the district of Giessen in central Hesse. The glider airfield in the Watzenborn-Steinberg area is regularly used by amateur pilots and sportsmen. (CSA)
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