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Burnt out vehicles at the crash site in Duisburg
Photo: Alexander Forstreuter / dpa
According to the police and public prosecutor, the small plane that crashed in Duisburg is a so-called ultralight aircraft.
According to the latest findings, the occupants who died in the accident wanted to take a sightseeing flight over the city.
According to the information, the two victims are a 54-year-old man from Bottrop and a 77-year-old from Dortmund.
The two took off from Dinslaken with the ultralight aircraft and crashed on Sunday afternoon for reasons that are still unclear.
According to the current state of knowledge, the occupants of the ultralight aircraft took off from the “Schwarze Heide” airfield in Dinslaken and set off on a sightseeing flight over Duisburg.
The accident happened on the way back.
With DNA tests, the identity of the two crew members who died should now be clarified beyond doubt.
According to the autopsy, the 54-year-old died from burns, the 77-year-old succumbed to polytrauma - i.e. several serious injuries.
Investigators from the Duisburg criminal police and employees from the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) are still on site to gain further insight into the cause of the crash.
The small-engine plane crashed in the parking lot right in front of the Flic Flac circus tent on Sunday afternoon and burned out completely.
Aerial photos show that eight cars parked in the parking lot in front of the tent were completely destroyed by the fire.
The burnt-out wreckage and other vehicles damaged by parts of the small aircraft flying around were still at the scene of the accident the day after the accident.
Around 60 firefighters were busy extinguishing the fire on Sunday
Tent entrance only about 100 meters from the crash site
Except for the two occupants of the plane, no one was injured, police said.
The scene of the accident was still closed off in the morning with white privacy walls and warning tape.
The crash happened during the afternoon performance of the circus show, which was well booked with around 900 visitors.
The entrance to the main tent was less than 100 meters from the crash site.
In between there is a beer garden, which is also run by the circus.
Since the spring, Flic Flac has had its permanent quarters next to Duisburg's main train station, not far from the train tracks and the A59 motorway.
ala/dpa