Mystery crash: DHL plane nosedives without warning in Vilnius
The conversation between 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. Tragically, one of the pilots died, and three other people on board were injured.
12:54 PM EST, November 25, 2024
Aviation expert Vidas Kaupelis, who reviewed the recorded conversation, noted 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. It is unlikely that it was an explosion, as in such cases, the plane would have disintegrated. A fire in the cargo hold also seems improbable, as the pilots would likely have noticed something," writes LRT.lt.
Kaupelis comments, "I listened to the recording. Without going into details, it can be said that the pilots did not report any threats or issues. It was routine communication during a regular landing approach. The fact that the plane crashed just seconds after the communication ended indicates that it was an unexpected situation for the pilots themselves. They would have communicated this to air traffic controllers if they were dealing with serious problems—such as a fire or technical issues."
In analyzing potential causes of the crash, Kaupelis stated that technical problems, human error, or—although unlikely—a terrorist act could have been factors.
- Surveillance camera footage has surfaced. They show that the plane did not explode or disintegrate in the air. The landing approach seemed routine until the sudden drop at the end. The fact that part of the crew survived is indeed a miracle, adds Kaupelis.
When asked if a fire might have broken out in the cargo hold, Kaupelis said, "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 at 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. There is nothing extraordinary happening there, nothing that could indicate something would end badly," commented the expert.
On a flight from Leipzig, the Boeing 737 of the Spanish airline Swiftair crashed at about 11:30 PM Eastern Time while approaching to land at Vilnius airport. According to information provided by local authorities, 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.
