Authorities are investigating

Crash to be investigated within a year

The recovered wreckage has already been transported to Vienna.(Bild: FOTOKERSCHI / WERNER KERSCHBAUMMAYR, Krone KREATIV)

The wreckage of the training plane in which two young pilots crashed to their deaths in Lake Attersee last week has been successfully recovered and transported to Vienna. Authorities are now giving themselves one year to investigate the tragic accident. An interim report is expected in September.

The tragic accident involving Benedikt (24) and Fiona (19) caused a major stir far beyond the country’s borders. The young flight instructor and his student, both from North Rhine-Westphalia near the Dutch border, crashed into Lake Attersee near Steinbach in a small training aircraft, a Tecnam P2002-JF.

Sunken deep in the lake
The small plane had sunk like a stone to one of the deepest parts of the lake—which is why the recovery was not successfully completed until Monday. Specialized divers had only a few seconds to attach recovery cables at a depth of about 160 meters. After the two bodies were recovered, the wreckage was transported to Vienna, where the Federal Bureau of Safety Investigation (SUB) is now in charge of the investigation.

(Bild: FOTOKERSCHI / WERNER KERSCHBAUMMAYR)

(Bild: FOTOKERSCHI / WERNER KERSCHBAUMMAYR)

Interim report coming soon
The agency has given itself—as it informed the aviation portal AustrianWings—one year to investigate the accident. This would be in line with the guidelines and recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The ICAO requires an initial interim report within 30 days and a final report as soon as possible, but recommends a maximum investigation period of one year. 

Authority Has Improved Significantly
As the online portal reports, these recommendations were rarely followed in Austria in the past. In some cases, it took more than 15 years for a final report to be published. The agency was also sharply criticized by the Court of Auditors for this. In recent years, however, things have improved significantly at the SUB, and processing times have been drastically reduced.

Wreckage in Securing Hall
As the SUB stated in response to an inquiry from Austrian Wings, it is “working to” publish the final report on the crash of the Salzburger Flugschule flight school aircraft, registration “OE-CLJ,” into Lake Attersee “within the recommended timeframe.” At the same time, the SUB noted that the “oldest case currently under review” dates back to “October 2023,” meaning it is just under two years old. The wreckage is currently located in the SUB’s storage facility.

Spokesperson explains
“The next steps in the investigation will be coordinated by the SUB’s lead investigator together with the court-appointed expert. The agency had two investigators on site. If necessary, external experts will be consulted, and the investigation team will be expanded to include additional investigators,” said a spokesperson for the agency.