Croatia plane sees four dead as aircraft ‘spirals’ out of control

The aircraft crashed in the Campanoz area near Medulin airport in Croatia, with emergency services at the scene and an investigation now underway into the cause of the spiral dive

A plane has tragically crashed in Croatia, resulting in the deaths of at least four individuals.

Authorities have confirmed that the aircraft plummeted near Medulin, a town situated on the Istria peninsula, with photographs from the scene revealing the wreckage of the small plane in a field, surrounded by emergency services.

The HINA news agency has reported that it was a German plane that had departed from Austria and was scheduled to land in Medulin.

The crash took place around 11.20am (9.20am GMT) in the Campanoz area, nestled between Kastijun and Medulin, close to the Medulin airport. There are unverified reports suggesting that there may have been an additional two passengers on board alongside the four known fatalities.

Local pilot Nijaz Delic informed the Index news portal that the plane “spiralled (in the air) and crashed into the ground.”

The total number of passengers on the aircraft remains unknown, and no further details, including the identities of the victims, were immediately provided by the police, reports the Mirror.

“I don’t know how the accident happened. For reasons currently unknown, the pilot (…) was supposed to land at the sports airport in Medulin, but made a spiral above the Kaštijun landfill and then it crashed into the ground. That’s the only information we have,” Mr Delic revealed.

Reports suggest that the plane was a Bonanza G36, and an investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the crash.

This model is a luxury, high-performance, single-engine piston aircraft produced by Textron Aviation and was first launched in 2006 – making it the longest continuously produced aircraft line in aviation history.

Aviation expert Zeljko Marusic spoke to Croatian news outlet Glas Istre, describing a spiral dive as “one of the most dangerous conditions”, especially at low altitude where the “speed, structural loads and rate of altitude loss increase simultaneously”.

Unlike a traditional spin, a spiral dive typically leaves the aircraft uncontrollable, and a crucial part of the investigation will be determining how the plane ended up in this situation.

Mr Marusic added: “In general aviation, a spiral dive rarely occurs without a previous cause. It is most often preceded by a certain disruption in flight – a technical problem, loss of spatial orientation, wrong estimation of speed, an attempt to correct the path at low altitude or a sudden reaction to an unexpected situation.

“In the case of smaller aircraft, the last minutes of the flight are particularly critical when the pilot has the least time to react and the smallest safety margin of height.”

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.