One dead and three injured in Lithuania cargo-jet crash
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At least one person has died and three others have been injured after a cargo plane crashed near Vilnius airport in Lithuania early on Monday morning. The Boeing 737, which was operated by Swiftair for DHL, crashed during its final approach for landing. The aircraft, which had taken off from Leipzig Airport in Germany, came down near a residential area, local authorities reported.
The crash occurred around an hour and a half after the plane departed, at approximately 03:00 local time (02:00 GMT). Despite the severity of the crash, all 12 people inside the house near the crash site were safely evacuated. According to police, the damage to the property was minimal, although parts of the plane’s wreckage, which included blackened chunks of debris, were scattered in the trees.
While the cause of the crash remains under investigation, Lithuanian authorities and DHL have begun separate inquiries into the incident. The defence minister noted that there were no initial signs of sabotage or terrorism. The head of Lithuania’s police, Arunas Paulauskas, suggested that the crash might have been caused by a technical failure or human error, though all possible causes will be thoroughly examined.
Renatas Pozela, a senior police official, confirmed that one of the four-member crew died in the crash. However, it remains unclear how many people were on board the flight in total. Authorities also reported that while the crash caused some damage to nearby infrastructure, there was no major threat to public safety as all the residents were evacuated in time.
Marius Baranauskas, the head of Lithuania’s National Aviation Authority, revealed that the pilots did not report any emergency or unusual events in their communication with air traffic control before the crash. This has raised questions about whether the pilots were aware of any impending issues. The investigation into the flight’s data is ongoing, but authorities have not found any evidence suggesting an explosion occurred before the crash.
The aircraft involved in the incident was a Boeing 737-400, which is 31 years old. Weather reports from the time of the crash indicated cold temperatures of around 0°C (32°F) and winds of about 30 km/h (19 mph), with overcast skies before sunrise. These conditions may have contributed to the crash, but investigators are still analyzing the data to determine the exact cause.
Witnesses at the scene described the crash as a devastating sight, with parts of the plane’s wreckage strewn across the landscape. Images from the crash site show large sections of the blackened fuselage, and fire crews were seen working to put out the flames that had ignited upon impact. Local emergency services responded promptly, and firefighters quickly contained the blaze, preventing further damage to the area.
Swiftair, the Spanish cargo airline operating the Boeing 737, issued a statement expressing deep condolences for the loss of life and saying they are cooperating with local authorities to determine what went wrong. DHL also confirmed the incident and stated that they are closely monitoring the situation while supporting the affected families and crew members.
The crash near Vilnius marks a tragic chapter in the history of air cargo flights and raises questions about the safety of aging aircraft in commercial service. The Boeing 737-400 is an older model, and while it remains a workhorse for cargo operations, accidents involving older planes have raised concerns in recent years about the maintenance and technology available on older aircraft.
In response to the crash, Lithuanian authorities have urged the public to remain calm and assured them that full investigations would be conducted to uncover the cause. They have also expressed gratitude for the swift emergency response that helped prevent further casualties.
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