Fell into Lake Attersee

Eyewitness: “When is it finally going to pull up?”

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26.08.2026 14:34

A two-seater aircraft that had taken off from Salzburg suddenly lost altitude over Lake Attersee on Wednesday at noon and crashed into the water. Rescue operations are still underway; oil booms are currently being deployed. The “Krone” spoke with an eyewitness. 

Johann R. (44) owns a farm with guest rooms located directly above the spot where the plane crashed into the lake in Steinbach am Attersee. In an interview with the “Krone,” he describes what he saw.

Airplane Disappeared Behind Trees
“I saw the plane spiraling down and said to my neighbor, ‘Look, there’s an aerobatic pilot.’ Then the plane disappeared behind the trees. It kept coming down farther and farther; we kept saying the whole time, ‘When is he finally going to pull up?’”

Rescue helicopters hovered over the crash site.
Rescue helicopters hovered over the crash site.(Bild: Peter Breitenhaler)
(Bild: Robert Loy)
(Bild: Robert Loy)
(Bild: Robert Loy)

It never came to that. Johann R. describes: “The plane came down vertically. It looked like a leaf spinning around. Then I heard the impact. It sounded as if someone were slamming a huge wooden plank onto the water’s surface. It just made a ‘splash’—it’s hard to describe that sound. But suddenly, the engine noise was gone.”

The location from which the plane last transmitted signals.
The location from which the plane last transmitted signals.(Bild: Flightradar24)

Set the rescue chain in motion
R. immediately grabbed his cell phone and dialed 122, the fire department’s emergency number; at the same time, his neighbor and cousin alerted the police. The rescue operation began just moments after the crash; nearby fire departments, the water rescue team, the Martin 3 emergency medical helicopter, and the police were quickly on the scene.

When the emergency responders arrived at the crash site, there was no trace of the wreckage left. From the police helicopter, which had also participated in the search, only a few pieces of wreckage were still visible. Locals know: “The lake is up to 160 meters deep at this spot.” In Steinbach, efforts are now underway to coordinate the search and recovery of the wreckage.

This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.

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