LONDON and BELGRADE — A DHL cargo plane crashed early Monday near Vilnius, Lithuania, resulting in one fatality and leaving another person critically injured, according to local officials.
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The Boeing 737-476, operated by Swiftair, was en route from Leipzig, Germany, to Vilnius Airport when it went down in Liepkalnis, on the outskirts of the Lithuanian capital.
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Crash Details
Emergency responders received an alert at 5:28 a.m. about the crash near a residential area, approximately half a mile from Vilnius Airport. The Vilnius Fire and Rescue Department reported that the cockpit was separated from the plane’s fuselage upon impact.
“City services are currently on-site, along with a fire truck and a command team from Vilnius Airport,” the Lithuanian Airport Authority stated on social media. “Airport operations are not disrupted at this time.”
Despite the crash, departures resumed by 7:20 a.m., though one inbound flight was diverted to Riga, Latvia.
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Casualties
One pilot was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, according to Bozena Jerenkovic, a medical doctor on the emergency response team. The Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center confirmed that two other individuals onboard sustained non-critical injuries.
Thirteen residents were evacuated without injury from a nearby building, and no civilians on the ground were harmed, officials said.
Aviation expert Vidas Kaupelis described the outcome as “nothing short of a miracle,” given the crash was followed by a massive fireball.
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Communication Prior to the Crash
Analysis of the pilots’ communication with air traffic controllers suggested no immediate signs of distress before the crash. Kaupelis noted, “The pilots appeared to follow a routine approach with no indication of emergency.”
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The crash occurred seconds after the final exchange with controllers, suggesting it might have been unexpected even to the crew.
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Investigation Underway
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it is dispatching a team of U.S. investigators to assist Lithuanian authorities in determining the cause of the crash.
