A Spanish pilot dies in Vilnius, Lithuania, after the cargo plane he was flying crashes

A Spanish pilot has died in Vilnius, Lithuania, after the cargo plane he was flying crashed this morning. The aircraft hit a house. The accident occurred during the descent maneuver to land.

The event occurred on the 05.30 local time (04.30 GMT) on Monday. The aircraft came from Leipzig, Germany. The flight was from the DHL company but was operated by Swiftair, a Spanish airline. Two crew members have been injured, one of them Spanish. The pilot died instantly.

As a result of the impact, a two-story private home caught fire, although no casualties on the ground have been reported.

“A crew member was found no vital signsand two others were rescued and taken to hospital,” said Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the country’s National Crisis Management Center (NKVC).

According to the mayor of VilniusValdas Benkunskas, the plane crossed the compound of the house and crashed in the courtyard. “The 12 residents of the home are safe and have been evacuated,” he added.

The plane Boeing 737-476 (SF) It was flying from Leipzig to Lithuania and official sources have stated that the causes of the accident are still being investigated.

Vilnius airport continues to operate normally, although some flights have been delayed and a plane bound for Riga (Latvia) has been cancelled.