Wreckage confirmed to be missing German plane
AN AIRCRAFT found in the North Sea has been confirmed as a missing German Cessna plane, which disappeared last year.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said in a statement that the remains of the small aircraft had been uncovered by Peterhead trawler Benarkle II.
“The loss of the aircraft was initially investigated by the Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU) of Germany,” the AAIB said.
“The AAIB is supporting Police Scotland and working with the BFU to assist their safety investigation.”
The large piece of fuselage was landed at the Greenhead Base, in Lerwick, on Sunday after being discovered on Friday.
Police officers confirmed on Sunday that the wreckage contained human remains.
Area commander Chris Sewell said on Monday that officers were continuing their enquiries into the incident, supported by specialist resources from the mainland.
He said they would work closely with the AAIB and German authorities.
The German Cessna Aircraft went missing with one person on board in September last year.
According to an air accident investigation the Cessna 172S Skyhawk was chartered at an airfield north of Hamburg on 30 September last year by a pilot who wanted to visit relatives in the city of Bayreuth, in the south of Germany.
However, shortly of taking off and before crossing the river Elbe the aircraft took the opposite course and entered Danish airspace flying in a north westerly direction over the North Sea.
Its last radar contact was recorded by Norwegian air traffic control at the late afternoon while the Cessna was about 70 nautical miles southeast of Shetland.
The owner reported the plane missing by the owner the following day after it did not return at the agreed time.
At the time a fixed wing Coastguard aircraft was sent out to investigate the area between Shetland and Norway but nothing was found.
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