One year after fatal plane crash on A58, cause remains unknown
A year after a small aircraft crashed on the A58 highway near Sint Willebrord, killing the pilot and engulfing the wreckage in flames, the cause of the accident remains unclear. The Dutch Safety Board (Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid, OVV) is in the final phase of its investigation but has not yet released any findings, Omroep Brabant reports.
On July 31, 2024, at around 12:30 p.m., a single-engine Aquila training aircraft took off from Breda Airport. The 67-year-old pilot from Roosendaal was the only person on board and was undergoing flight training. Minutes later, the aircraft went down over the A58 and crashed near the Sint Willebrord exit in West-Brabant.
Eyewitnesses on the highway described the crash as sudden and catastrophic. "The aircraft hit the asphalt nose-first. Then it was one big, black fireball," said one witness who was driving on the A58 at the time of the crash.
The pilot had last made radio contact with Dick van Gasteren, the air traffic controller at the nearby airport in Bosschenhoofd. "The last thing I heard over the radio was that he was going to take off. I had just given him the latest wind data," Van Gasteren said.
Shortly afterward, Van Gasteren saw the crash unfold from the airport control tower. The aircraft caught fire immediately upon impact, and the pilot died at the scene.
The OVV has been investigating the cause of the crash for the past year but has not released any details about what might have gone wrong. Possible causes, including mechanical failure or pilot error, have not been confirmed.
In a move without precedent, the OVV asked eyewitnesses to submit any photos or videos of the crash. The public call for visual evidence was part of an effort to expand investigative sources.
"Eighteen million people in the Netherlands have mobile phones and dashcams. Their footage can be a valuable addition," said OVV chairman Chris van Dam. "Public images can help contribute to a safer Netherlands."
The OVV has not disclosed how many photos or videos were submitted or whether the materials provided any useful information.
A spokesperson told Omroep Brabant that the investigation is nearing completion. "We are now in the final phase, but we cannot say when the results will be published," she said.
OVV emergency coordinator Rob Zandbergen emphasized the need for precision in their process. "We don’t work with assumptions. Once we publish, there must be no room for doubt. That’s why we follow extensive procedures, which take time," Zandbergen previously told Omroep Brabant.
The Dutch Safety Board investigates major incidents in the Netherlands, including train collisions and structural collapses, aiming to draw lessons.
