Two rescued after plane crashes into tree
Two people were rescued in Hilversum after their ultralight plane crashed into a tree on Monday. The plane wedged into the tree about ten meters off the ground, leading to an emergency services response at about 12:50 p.m.
Volgens de brandweer zijn beide inzittenden bevrijd! Ongelooflijk dat het toestel in de kruin van de boom is blijven hangen. “Wat een geluk”, aldus omstanders. pic.twitter.com/1gTjP0MZp9
— Jildou van Opzeeland (@Jilnow) April 8, 2019
The two on the aircraft, a flying instructor and a student, had been practicing several emergency procedures, according to RTL Nieuws. Dutch authorities said that is when the plane's single engine suddenly developed problems.
The plane struck the tree on the grounds of the Korporaal van Oudheusden military barracks. Both on board were forced to sit very still for fear of the plane becoming dislodged and crashing to the ground.
A rescue team approached the plane from a hook-and-ladder truck, and carefully freed the occupants. They were soaked in fuel due to a leak, but luckily no fire broke out, authorities said.
Leerling en instructeur bevrijd uit neergestort vliegtuigje: 'Wat een geluk' https://t.co/5DAGPOaV8o pic.twitter.com/i0GViBEwaV
— RTL Nieuws (@RTLnieuws) April 8, 2019
By 2:30 p.m. both occupants were saved from the plane in what was a "complicated rescue", the local fire department said.
The police department's aircraft supervision unit Team Luchtvaarttoezicht was handling the investigation. Records show the plane is a TL-3000 Sirius built by TL Ultralight. The five year old plane has been registered in the Netherlands since February 2017.
Onze collega's van Luchtvaarttoezicht doen op dit moment onderzoek naar de toedracht van het vliegongeval #Hilversum #geenhoogtevrees ^04 pic.twitter.com/NLxeJsdPCa
— Politiehelikopter (@DePolitieheli) April 8, 2019
