Specialist divers to recover crashed plane from Attersee

Specialist divers are expected to begin recovering a small aircraft that crashed into Lake Attersee near Steinach on Wednesday, ORF reported. The plane’s two occupants died, and the wreck lies on the lakebed at a depth of 160 metres.

No recovery attempt will be made on Sunday. Strong winds and waves have repeatedly disrupted work by water rescuers and firefighters, while the approach of other boats changes the position of the fire service vessel and requires the remotely operated underwater vehicle to be recalibrated.

Rescuers have so far been unable to get beneath the aircraft, which is partly buried in mud, to place a lifting sling around it.

Professional deep divers with specialised equipment are due to join the operation on Monday. Wolfgang Hufnagl, the district fire commander in Vöcklabruck, said the team needed calm conditions to work precisely. He estimated that the recovery itself would take a full day.