Bodies of two Norwegian plane crash victims found near Rotterdam port

Dutch authorities confirmed on Monday that they likely found the bodies of two missing people who were on board a plane that disappeared in the Rotterdam area earlier this month. Family identified the remains of the 58-year-old man, which was found on Friday.

“The remains of a young man were also found on Sunday. It is believed to be the pilot's 15-year-old son. The identity of this young man is still under investigation,” police said.

The aircraft is believed to have crashed into the Calandkanaal, a water channel near the Rotterdam port, during a storm on June 5. The victims were Lars Haukeland, 58, and his son Filip Haukeland, 15, both Norwegian. Authorities from that country said they were assisting Dutch police in identifying the bodies, Western District police in Norway told media outlets there.

Both victims are from Bergen, Norway. May Britt Løvik, an attorney assisting with the case, told media outlet VG that it has been a difficult two weeks for the family. They were grateful that their loved ones may have been found, and they appreciated the rescue and recovery operations that were carried out in Rotterdam, Løvik said.

Lars Haukeland identified grim self as a pilot on his Instagram account. He was believed to be flying the Dyn'Aéro MCR01 light two-seater sport aircraft. The plane has a maximum range of 1,050 kilometers, with a top speed of 318 km/h, and a stall speed of 80 km/h.

The father and son were flying from Bergen airport to Bruno-Bonnevaux Airport near Paris. They stopped to refuel in northern Germany, and entered Dutch airspace at about 4:45, VG reported. The Rotterdam-Rijnmond Security Region learned of the possible crash at about 6:50 p.m. 

That triggered an initial search and rescue operation, but hours later it authorities said it was highly unlikely anyone survived. They then focused their efforts on finding the aircraft and the two victims.