Small plane crashes on A58 highway near Ruchphen; Pilot killed

A small plane crashed on the A58 highway near Ruchpen in Noord-Brabant on Wednesday afternoon. The pilot died in the crash. He was the only person on board the plane, the local security office, Veiligheidsregio Midden en West-Brabant, reported.

The highway is closed in both directions because of debris on the road, the Rijkswaterstaat said. It is still unclear what type of plane was involved or how it crashed. Emergency services are at the scene.

The plane crashed at around 12:35 p.m. According to Omroep Brabant, it went down at the Hoeven/Sint-Willebrord exit and caught fire. The smoke plume was visible from far away.

Traffic toward Breda was being diverted from De Stok junction via the A17 and A16. Traffic toward Bergen op Zoom has to detour from the Princeville junction via the A16 and A17.

Several people witnessed the crash. “I saw something turn and go down. It looks like a small plane, I thought. When it fell, I suddenly saw a fireball and then smoke,” one witness told the broadcaster.

The plane crashed near Breda International Airport. The airport was unavailable to comment to ANP or Omroep Brabant.