Three Dutch Nationals Killed in Small Plane Crash in Germany
BERLIN — Three Dutch nationals were killed after a small aircraft crashed near Gerderath in western Germany, close to the Dutch border, on Monday.
The victims were two men aged 57 and 58 and a 23-year-old woman, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed. The 58-year-old man and the woman were from Amsterdam, while the 57-year-old man was from Súdwest-Fryslân in the Netherlands.
The aircraft, a Cessna 172, had taken off from a small airfield in Hilversum, the Netherlands, at around 10:25 a.m. local time. It disappeared from radar near the German town of Erkelenz at approximately 11:18 a.m. and crashed into a field near Gerderath shortly afterward.
German police said all three people on board died in the crash. Emergency crews, police and technical rescue teams were deployed to the scene, while aviation investigators began examining the wreckage.
The aircraft was registered with Vliegschool Hilversum, which has temporarily suspended flights following the accident. The exact cause of the crash remains unknown. German and Dutch aviation investigators are working together to determine what happened.
German air traffic authorities said the pilot had contacted flight information services because of poor weather before the aircraft lost altitude. Reports indicate the plane may have been heading toward Freiburg, although the investigation is still ongoing.
