The unusual sound of a small plane flying over Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales) at low altitude surprised authorities and residents, before the wreckage of the stolen aircraft was found in a field, its pilot dead, according to a source close to the investigation.
The accident occurred Wednesday, but this Thursday at the end of the day, the investigators could not identify the pilot and suspected thief, whose remains lay near the wreckage. So far, no one has claimed the body of the pilot, no worrying disappearance has been reported in the vicinity, no identity document has been found on the scene, a DNA expertise is underway.
“The key is the identification of the victim. We do not know who is behind the flight or why the plane crashed, "said Perpignan deputy prosecutor Bruno Albouy. One certainty, the pilot was experienced, to take off in the middle of the night, to fly for four hours while gusts of wind exceeded 100 km / h.
Stolen from a training center
The Piper PA-44 was stolen from AéroPyrènes, an aeronautical training center, located near Perpignan airport. The flight ended in a field in Corneilla-del-Vercol, a town 10 km from Perpignan.
The plane took off on Tuesday around 11 p.m., without having communicated a flight route to air traffic control, and would have crashed on Wednesday around 3 a.m. The aircraft did not catch fire, which suggests to investigators that it may have run out of fuel.
Three gendarmerie investigation services are mobilized, as is the Accident Investigation Office (BEA).
