Missed home by “a few centimetres”: plane crash ends narrowly in Mouterndorf

A light aircraft crashed on Saturday morning in the district of Mauterndorf in the Steindorf (Lungau) area. Thomas Keitel, spokesman for the Lungau Fire Department, told SALZBURG24 that the pilot attempted an emergency landing. But this failed: the machine crashed head-on into a garden fence. The plane then stopped “a few centimeters from the house”.

Salzburg police announced in the evening that the plane’s engine stopped shortly after takeoff for unknown reasons. Then the 70-year-old pilot tried to make an emergency landing in a nearby field. A witness notified emergency services.

Pilot hospitalized in plane crash at Mauterndorf

According to Keidel, the pilot, who was slightly injured, managed to free himself from the wreckage, according to the Red Cross. He was taken to a hospital in Tomswijk (also Lunga).

Initially, three fire departments – Mauterndorf, St. Michael and Tamsweg – were alerted to the scene of the accident. But since no one was caught in the wreckage, St. Michael’s support was no longer needed. There are currently 15 emergency services on site from the Mauterndorf and Tamsweg fire departments. They secure the accident site and drain the petrol from the stricken engine.

According to the police, the plane was a total loss. The soil at the accident site was not contaminated. An investigation into the cause of the accident and engine failure is underway.

(Source: SALZBURG24)