German-registered motor glider crashes in Croatia, killing two
A Diamond HK36 Super Dimona went down in the Velebit mountains near Zadar, ending a six-hour search hampered by severe weather.
Two people were killed when a two-seater motor glider registered in Germany crashed in the Velebit mountains near the Croatian coastal city of Zadar. Croatian police confirmed that the aircraft, identified as a Diamond HK36 Super Dimona, went down on Friday while en route from the Czech Republic.
The Velebit range is a long, rugged mountain chain running parallel to the Adriatic coast. The specific type of aircraft is designed to operate with a small engine or glide without one, presenting unique challenges for search and rescue operations in remote terrain.
Contact with the aircraft was lost just after 4 p.m. local time on Friday. A 35-person rescue team was dispatched to the area, but the search took nearly six hours to locate the wreckage and the bodies of the two passengers.
Mountain rescue agencies described the conditions as extremely difficult. Heavy rain, wind, and fog reduced visibility to approximately two metres, which also prevented the deployment of search drones during the operation.
The Czech Foreign Ministry stated that the victims were not Czech citizens. However, officials have not yet announced the identities or specific nationalities of the deceased.
The exact cause of the crash has not yet been determined, with investigations likely to focus on the mechanical and environmental factors involved in the incident.
