Photo: FF Mauterndorf and OVI Thomas Keidel, district public relations officer Lungau.
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Light aircraft crash in Mauterndorf: Pilot barely survives emergency landing

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On Saturday morning, August 17, 2024, a spectacular plane crash occurred in the Steindorf district of Mauterndorf, located in the Lungau region, which fortunately ended well. A 70-year-old pilot lost control of his light aircraft shortly after takeoff and attempted to make an emergency landing.

However, the plane crashed into a garden fence and came to a stop just a few centimeters from a house. The pilot was able to free himself from the wreckage and was taken to hospital with minor injuries. The incident prompted an extensive deployment of the local fire brigade and rescue services, with particular emphasis on securing the accident site and pumping out the fuel. The crash resulted in the total loss of the plane, while the exact causes of the engine failure are still being investigated.

The 70-year-old pilot took off in his light aircraft near Mauterndorf in the late morning. Shortly after takeoff, a technical problem occurred when the aircraft's engine suddenly stopped. According to Salzburg police, the experienced pilot immediately attempted to make an emergency landing in a nearby field. This failed, however, as the aircraft lost control during landing and eventually crashed head-on into a garden fence. The aircraft came to a stop just a few centimeters from a house, which prevented an even more serious accident.

An eyewitness who had seen the crash immediately notified the emergency services. The pilot, who according to the Red Cross only suffered minor injuries, was able to free himself from the wreckage. He was then taken to the nearby hospital in Tamsweg, where he received further medical treatment. The exact circumstances that led to the engine failing are currently the subject of police investigations.

Firefighters deployed: Quick action prevents worse

The emergency services were alerted immediately after the crash. The Mauterndorf, St. Michael and Tamsweg fire departments deployed a total of 30 emergency personnel to bring the situation under control. When the Mauterndorf fire department arrived, the first danger had already been averted, as the pilot had left the aircraft and no other people in the aircraft or the adjacent building were in danger.

The Mauterndorf fire department set up a triple fire protection system to minimize the risk of a fire caused by the leaking fuel. Around 80 liters of aircraft fuel were still in the tanks of the wreck. To prevent an environmental risk, the Tamsweg fire department was called in with a special vehicle for hazardous substances. They pumped the remaining fuel out of the aircraft, thereby preventing possible contamination of the ground.

The St. Michael fire department was able to abort its journey as no further support was required. Once on site, the accident site was cordoned off to keep curious onlookers away and to make the work of the emergency services easier.

The rescue and the investigation into the causes

The recovery of the wreckage of the aircraft was a complex task. In consultation with the police, the authorities and the municipality, the owner of the aircraft commissioned a private company to carry out the recovery. The fire brigade supported the recovery work, which was made more difficult by the difficult position of the aircraft in the immediate vicinity of a house and the garden fence. After the recovery was completed, the emergency services finally left.

The plane was a total write-off, as the Salzburg police confirmed. However, the quick action of the emergency services meant that the ground was not contaminated. The relevant authorities have begun an investigation into the cause of the engine failure. Experts will thoroughly examine the plane wreckage and the engine to determine the exact technical causes of the accident.

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