Presumably one dead

Major operation due to plane crash in Vorarlberg

Part of the wreckage of the crashed small plane.(Bild: Bernd Hofmeister)

The aircraft parts were scattered everywhere.(Bild: Bernd Hofmeister)

Over 100 emergency services searched for the wreckage.(Bild: Bernd Hofmeister)

An airplane crashed near the municipality of Brand in Vorarlberg: witnesses first heard a loud bang and the search proved to be very challenging due to the dense fog. According to current information, one person, the pilot, is believed to have died. 

Mayor Klaus Bitschi told vol.at that he and other witnesses had heard engine noises, after which they heard a crash. The crash is said to have occurred shortly after 10 am.

An innkeeper also heard the loud bang: Maria Müller was in the hut with her husband, daughter and a couple of hunters when they were startled by the noise. As she told ORF, it sounded like an explosion. The hunters immediately ran out to see what had happened. They eventually found parts of the plane.

Dense fog made the search difficult
The emergency services had difficulty reaching the crash site in Zalimtal, where the Untere Brüggelealpe is located. Visibility in the valley was very poor on Monday morning: dense fog in the area made the search operation from the air difficult, according to the rescue and fire department control center. Helicopters could therefore not be used. As a result, the mountain rescuers had to comb through the rough terrain on foot - the search was temporarily called off in the late afternoon for safety reasons, and the operation is to be continued on Tuesday.  

The crashed aircraft is believed to be a Beechcraft Baron. (symbolic image)(Bild: Wikipedia (gemeinfrei))

Small plane had taken off from Italy
The aircraft involved in the accident is believed to be a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 58. The plane took off from Genoa and was heading for the Bavarian town of Straubing.

One person suspected on board
For a long time, there was a lot of guesswork about how many people were on board the plane. In the early afternoon, Vorarlberg's regional safety councillor Christian Gantner (ÖVP), referring to Austro Control, stated that it was probably only the pilot who was on board the small plane - but there is still no definitive confirmation of this.