Search for Cessna

Contact with small plane lost over Ötztal

Since Saturday afternoon, there has been no trace of a small plane that was on its way from Italy to Germany. According to Austro Control, contact with the Cessna was lost over the Ötztal valley. The ongoing search is being hampered by the storm.

The flight route from Rome to a destination airport in Germany takes the small aircraft over the 3,000-meter peaks of the Ötztal. There is currently a fierce Föhn storm with poor visibility due to Sahara dust. However, it is unclear whether this has anything to do with the disappearance of the plane.

Hut owners gave clues
One thing is certain: Austro Control lost sight of the Cessna at around 11.45 a.m. north-east of Sölden, or rather it disappeared from the radar screens. "There were tips from hut owners who saw the plane, apparently when everything was still in order," a police spokesperson told the "Krone" newspaper. 

A search operation was launched, but the extreme weather conditions made the mission difficult. "Two helicopters were only able to fly briefly during the search," said the spokesperson. A new attempt is to be made on Sunday. 

Only pilot on board
According to current information, there was only one pilot and no passenger on board the single-engine aircraft. In the search for a possible crash site, information is requested by calling 01-798 83 80.