2024-11-25 11:02:00
One person died when a DHL freight plane crashed on Monday morning shortly before landing in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. While rescue workers were at the scene of the accident, the search for the cause began. Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said there was no evidence so far that the crash was a case of sabotage or a terrorist attack. The investigation could “take about a week.”
The emergency services were alerted at 5:31 a.m. local time. There were a total of four people on the plane. The fatality is believed to be an inmate of Spanish nationality, police and emergency services said. A German, another Spaniard and a Lithuanian were injured. The authorities initially did not provide any further information about the health of the injured. According to the Lithuanian news agency Elta, there is still no reliable information about the age of the inmates, the police said.
The plane, which had taken off from Leipzig, crashed close to a residential building with sleeping people. They were able to be rescued from the burning building. Numerous rescue workers were deployed at the scene of the accident.
German security authorities are also investigating
Defense Minister Kasciunas said only after investigating officers have spoken to the surviving crew members and evaluated the flight recorder will it be clear what happened. The security authorities are also investigating in Germany. German security circles said they were “in close contact with the authorities involved at home and abroad in order to clarify the matter as quickly as possible.”
The crashed cargo plane was a plane belonging to the Spanish airline Swift Air, as DHL announced. Swift Air operates under contract for DHL. The crew had to make an emergency landing about one kilometer from Vilnius airport. “Our thoughts are with them and their families,” said a DHL spokesman.
According to the sales and marketing manager of DHL Lithuania, the aircraft was a Boeing 737. The plane was transporting packages for customers, she told the BNS news agency. In pictures from the scene of the accident, individual packages and broken boxes could be seen. The plane was completely destroyed, a spokeswoman for the Lithuanian rescue service told the Elta news agency.
What led to the accident?
Police chief Arunas Paulauskas also gave no hope of immediate answers as to what led to the crash. Inspecting the crime scene, collecting evidence and collecting information and objects could take a whole week. “These answers will not come quickly,” he said at a news conference. The plane tried to land and did not reach the runway, Paulauskas said. The crash was “most likely due to a technical error or human error.” At the same time, when asked whether it could have been a terrorist attack, he said that such a scenario could not be ruled out. “This is one of the versions of the crash that needs to be investigated and verified. There is still a lot of work ahead of us.”
The head of the Lithuanian intelligence service, Darius Jauniskis, said, according to Lithuanian media: “At this point, based on our knowledge, it is probably too early to link the incident to anything or to give it any attribution.” There is also no preliminary information available on this. He also said that the possibility of terrorism cannot be ruled out. Jauniskis also assured that they are also working with foreign partners.
“Everything red and full of sparks”
The head of Lithuania’s emergency services, Renatas Pozela, said the cargo plane crashed a few kilometers from the airport, skidded for several hundred meters and its debris hit a residential building. The house has two floors and four apartments. Three families lived there. All twelve residents are safe.
A woman who lives near the affected house reported on Lithuanian radio that she was woken up early in the morning by a noise: “I heard a noise in my sleep, I looked out the window – everything was red and full of sparks “. She immediately ran to see if anyone needed help. She is in shock: the whole thing is “terrible, terrible.”
A neighbor said that he saw a flash of light in the yard early in the morning: “There was a flash. I didn’t see the impact itself, but the flash was very bright, it lit up the whole yard, and it was about a kilometer away away from me. And then the fire appeared and there was a lot of smoke.”
German security authorities warned
At the end of August it became known that German security authorities were warning about “unconventional incendiary devices” being sent by unknown persons via freight service providers. At the time, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) sent a corresponding warning to companies in the aviation and logistics sectors.
The warning message was linked in security circles to, among other things, an incident at the DHL logistics center in Leipzig, which acts as the company’s global hub. A package sent from the Baltics containing an incendiary device is said to have caught fire in July.
The word Russia did not appear in the warning message from BfV and BKA. Nevertheless, in security circles a connection with the increasing cases of Russian sabotage in Germany is not ruled out.
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How might this incident influence future regulations for cargo flight operations?
**Interview with Aviation Expert Dr. Elena Novak**
**Host:** Welcome, Dr. Novak. Thank you for joining us today to discuss the tragic crash of the DHL cargo plane in Vilnius, Lithuania. Can you provide us with an overview of the incident?
**Dr. Novak:** Thank you for having me. On Monday morning, just before landing at Vilnius Airport, a DHL cargo plane, operated by Swift Air, crashed near the airport. Tragically, one person—a Spanish national—was killed, and three others, including crew members, were injured. This incident is particularly concerning given the proximity of the crash site to residential areas [[1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhl-cargo-plane-crash-vilnius-lithuania-amid-probe-alleged-russia-sabotage/)].
**Host:** What do we know about the immediate circumstances of the crash?
**Dr. Novak:** The plane was reportedly trying to make an emergency landing about a kilometer from the runway. It began its journey from Leipzig and was carrying packages when it lost control. The Lithuanian authorities received emergency calls a few minutes before the crash, indicating that the situation was critical [[1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhl-cargo-plane-crash-vilnius-lithuania-amid-probe-alleged-russia-sabotage/)].
**Host:** There seems to be some uncertainty about the cause of the crash. What factors are being considered in the investigation?
**Dr. Novak:** Yes, the investigation is still in its early stages, but both Lithuanian and German authorities are involved. They are looking into possible technical malfunctions or human error as the primary causes. However, as we’ve heard from the defense minister, the possibility of sabotage or a terrorist attack cannot be ruled out completely at this point. This is a significant part of the investigation, which is expected to take about a week [[1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhl-cargo-plane-crash-vilnius-lithuania-amid-probe-alleged-russia-sabotage/)].
**Host:** Considering the operational protocols for cargo flights, how common are incidents like this?
**Dr. Novak:** Fortunately, incidents like this are quite rare, especially for cargo flights. Modern aircraft are designed with multiple safety features, and operators typically rigorously follow protocols. However, when issues do arise—be they technical or operational—they can lead to serious situations, particularly in the case of emergency landings [[1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhl-cargo-plane-crash-vilnius-lithuania-amid-probe-alleged-russia-sabotage/)].
**Host:** What impact do you think this crash could have on aviation safety regulations, especially concerning cargo flights?
**Dr. Novak:** This accident is likely to lead to a thorough review of safety protocols in cargo flight operations. Investigators will meticulously analyze the flight data recorders and cockpit communications to identify any anomalies. Depending on their findings, there might be recommendations for stricter regulations or enhanced training for cargo flight crews to prevent future occurrences [[1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhl-cargo-plane-crash-vilnius-lithuania-amid-probe-alleged-russia-sabotage/)].
**Host:** Thank you, Dr. Novak, for your insights into this tragic incident. We hope for a swift resolution to the investigation and are grateful for your expertise.
**Dr. Novak:** Thank you for having me. My thoughts are with the families affected and those involved in the investigation.
