A light aircraft crashed into a house in northern Germany on Saturday, killing one person and leaving another missing. The single-engine plane lost altitude and struck the roof of a single-family home in a residential neighbourhood in Ganderkesee, Lower Saxony, according to police in nearby Oldenburg.
Investigation Underway
Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. The plane was carrying two people, authorities said. One person died in the incident, and rescue operations were launched to find the missing person, German news agency dpa reported. It is not yet known whether the deceased was the pilot.
Evacuations and Safety Measures
The occupants of the house were not home at the time of the crash. After the crash, residents within a 100-metre radius of the site were evacuated. Power was cut off along the entire road where the house is located for safety reasons. No other injuries were reported.
Building at Risk
Authorities said the building is potentially at risk of collapse. Air traffic in the area was suspended immediately after the crash, and emergency services used drones as part of their response. A contact point for residents was set up at a nearby shooting range.
Aircraft Details and Recovery
The aircraft was a single-engine, four-seat light aircraft manufactured by Italian company Tecnam. It measures approximately 7.5 metres in length with a wingspan of 10.5 metres. Emergency services recovered the plane using a crane after a multi-hour operation. Firefighters and a structural engineer from the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) attended to assess the building.
