02 August 2024 , 15:27
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A pilot has been killed in the Netherlands in a "tragic accident", as the flight school confirmed the aeroplane crashed onto a busy motorway, sparking a huge fireball
A pilot has been killed after a plane was seen plummeting towards a busy motorway, before crashing on the road .
Breda Aviation Flight School confirmed the death of one of its pilots, saying there had been a “tragic accident” at around 12.45pm on Tuesday. The man who died was training when the Aquila plane came down. A German lorry driver who saw the accident said the plane made a turn and then fell to the ground.
He was the only person onboard the plane at the time, when it came down near Breda, around 37 miles from Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Footage taken by passersby on both sides of the motorway shows plumes of smoke coming from a burned-out wreckage. Some drivers are seen standing in the middle of the road in disbelief.
The images also show traffic being held up and a fire engine arriving at the scene. Witness Floyd Aanen wrote: “From the viaduct. Lots of smoke and sirens. Plane crashed on A58 near Breda Airport. Pilot died.” Others report seeing an “enormous fireball".
The flight school wrote in a message on Facebook: "On July 31 2024, a tragic accident occurred with one of our Aquila’s. The pilot of the plane was killed. It is not yet known what the cause of the accident is. This is currently being investigated by the Dutch Safety Board.
The plane came down on a busy motorway ( Image: Jam Press Vid)
Vliegtuigje neergestort op A58 vlakbij Breda International Airport. pic.twitter.com/0iVCMVsQCL
— Floyd Aanen (@FaanenFM) July 31, 2024
"The sadness and disbelief is indescribable. Our thoughts go out to the wife, family and surviving relatives. The dismay is great. Breda Aviation will be closed in the coming days. We would like to thank everyone for the heartwarming compassion shown."
The flight school gives flight training, trial lessons and rents out aircraft at Breda Airport. The road was closed for hours for emergency services to attend the scene.