One crew member was killed and three others injured when a DHL aircraft crashed while landing in Vilnius on Monday morning
Several media outlets have released video they claim to be of a plane crashing into a residential area in Vilnius, Lithuania. At least one of the plane's crew was killed in the incident.
The Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft, owned by the German logistics company DHL and operated by the Spanish charter company Swiftair, crashed in the municipality of Liepkalnis on its way from Leipzig to Vilnius airport on Monday morning, missing a residential building in the area by just a few meters and causing a massive fire on the ground.
One of the pilots, a Spanish national, died in the crash, while three other crew members have initially survived, although one is reported to be in “serious” condition, according to local officials. No local residents were injured, and Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said 14 people were evacuated from buildings near the crash site.
CCTV footage of the crash shared by AP and circulating on social media shows what appears to be the cargo plane descending slowly over the tree line as it appears to be preparing to land at Vilnius Airport. Moments later, however, it appears to accelerate and continue descending on a sharper trajectory. This is followed by a powerful explosion visible from several kilometers away, with a fireball rising into the sky.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center, said that preliminary data indicated that the crash was an “accident.” Local authorities have launched an investigation into potential improper maintenance and safety violations. Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Arunas Paulauskas said that terrorism remains one possible version.
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According to AP, the Boeing 737 was 31 years old. It noted that while the plane is considered an older airframe, it is not unusual for such aircraft to be used for cargo flights.
