DHL cargo plane mystery: Routine flight ends in tragedy
The conversation between the air traffic controllers and the pilots of the crashed DHL plane in Vilnius has been published online. "The conversation was completely routine; there were no signs of distress, yet the cargo plane suddenly nosedived and crashed to the ground," reported LRT.lt. One of the pilots died, and three others on board were injured.
Aviation expert Vidas Kaupelis, who listened to the recorded conversation, stated that the pilots did not report any issues with the aircraft.
"The pilots did not report any threats or issues"
"This indicates that the pilots were unaware of whatever was happening on the plane. At the same time, it is unlikely that it was an explosion because, in such a case, the plane would have disintegrated. The likelihood of a fire in the cargo hold also does not seem high because the pilots would probably have noticed something," writes LRT.lt
- I listened to that recording. Without going into details, it can be said that the pilots did not report any threats or issues. It was routine communication, a regular landing approach. The fact that a few or several seconds after the communication ended, the plane crashed indicates that it was an unexpected situation for the pilots themselves. If they were dealing with serious problems – like a fire or technical issues – they would have communicated this to the air traffic controllers, says Vidas Kaupelis.
Vidas Kaupelis analyzed the possible causes of the crash and stated that technical problems, an error, or—although unlikely—a terrorist act could have caused it.
- Surveillance camera footage has emerged. It shows that the plane did not explode or disintegrate in the air. The landing approach seemed routine, although there was a sudden drop just before the end. I consider that part of the crew survived to be a miracle, adds Kaupelis.
When asked if a fire might have broken out in the cargo hold, the interviewee stated that in such a case, "the pilots would have reported problems to the air traffic controllers, but nothing like that happened."
"The recording captures standard aviation communication"
Mindaugas Mikulionis, an instructor from the Antanas Gustaitis Institute of Aviation at VILNIUS TECH, stated in a conversation with LRT.lt that "the recording captures standard aviation communication."
- The plane contacts the approach control in Vilnius, asking about the method of approach. The control confirms that the approach will proceed according to the established procedure. The expert commented that nothing extraordinary was happening there, nothing that could indicate something would end badly.
The Boeing 737 of the Spanish airline Swiftair, performing a flight from Leipzig, crashed at about 4:30 AM GMT during its approach to land at the Vilnius airport. According to information provided by local authorities and quoted by the BBC, the aircraft hit a private house, which caused a fire.
The company "Teltonika" released footage from an industrial camera. The video shows the plane approaching for landing. At some point, the aircraft disappears behind trees, over which a huge fireball appears.
