Crash and initial response
Two people were killed when a small aircraft crashed in the mountains near the coastal city of Zadar in Croatia on Friday. According to reports from Deutsche Welle, The Manila Times and rte.ie, the plane had been flying from the Czech Republic when contact was lost. Croatian police confirmed that air traffic control raised the alarm after the aircraft's signal disappeared at around 4 p.m. local time, equivalent to 1400 GMT.
A search operation was launched promptly. Members of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service located the wreckage and the bodies of the two occupants later that evening. Police statements carried by The Manila Times and rte.ie indicated that the search concluded around 10 p.m., with the remains found some 60 kilometres northeast of Zadar. Deutsche Welle reported that the wreckage and bodies were recovered after a lengthy search lasting nearly six hours from the moment contact was lost.
Location and aircraft details
Accounts differ slightly on the precise description of the crash site. Croatian police, as cited by Deutsche Welle, stated that the two-seater motor glider went down in the Velebit mountains, a long rugged range running parallel to the Adriatic coast. The Manila Times and rte.ie reported that the plane was found in the mountains of Paklenica national park. Both descriptions are consistent with the geography of the area, where the national park lies within the Velebit range.
Deutsche Welle identified the aircraft as a Diamond HK36 Super Dimona, a two-seater motor glider capable of flying with a small engine or gliding without one, and noted that it was registered in Germany. It had been en route from the Czech Republic to Zadar. The Manila Times and rte.ie referred to it more generally as a small plane or ultralight aircraft on the same route. No cause for the crash has been established or suggested in the available reporting.
Difficult rescue conditions
Weather and terrain significantly hampered the response. Deutsche Welle reported that thick fog in the crash area prevented the use of search drones, with visibility reduced to around two metres. Challenging ground, combined with heavy rain, wind and fog, meant rescuers took nearly six hours to reach the site. Croatian media outlet Jutarnji list, cited by Deutsche Welle, quoted the mountain rescue agency describing the conditions as "extremely difficult." A 35-person rescue team was deployed to the location.
Police statements noted that officers planned to secure the scene overnight so that an on-site investigation into the circumstances could begin in the early morning hours of Saturday.
Victims and next steps
Officials have not released the identities or nationalities of the two people on board. Deutsche Welle reported that the German news agency DPA cited the Czech Foreign Ministry as stating that the victims were not Czech citizens. No further details on the passengers have been made public by Croatian authorities.
The focus of investigators remains on examining the wreckage and determining the sequence of events that led to the loss of the aircraft. Local police continue to manage the site as the formal inquiry proceeds.