World

Small plane crashes on Dutch highway, pilot killed

Published on

July 31, 2024

Burning wreckage on the A58 highway

A small plane has crashed on a highway near Breda International Airport in the Netherlands, according to witnesses and local officials. The pilot – the only person on board the plane – was killed in the crash.

The accident happened just after 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday when the plane, a single-engine Aquila A211 aircraft, was performing touch and go’s at Breda International Airport in the south of the Netherlands.

Footage from the scene showed that the aircraft went down on the A58 highway and was completely destroyed in a fire. The pilot was the only person on board and did not survive.

Breda Aviation confirmed one of its planes was involved in the “tragic” accident.

“The sadness and disbelief are indescribable,” the aviation school said in a statement. “Our thoughts go out to the wife, family and relatives. The dismay is great. Breda Aviation will be closed in the coming days.”

The cause of Wednesday’s crash was not immediately known. The Dutch Safety Board said it was sending two aviation investigators to the scene to investigate what happened.