Autopsy finds Attersee crash victims died on impact

The two people killed in a plane crash on Lake Attersee died when the aircraft hit the water, rather than drowning, ORF reported. A forensic examination found multiple traumatic injuries in both the 24-year-old flight instructor and the 19-year-old student.

Toxicology tests have not yet been completed and are expected to take several weeks, said Christoph Weber, a spokesman for the Wels public prosecutor’s office. Investigators are continuing to examine the cause of the crash.

The prosecutor’s office is conducting proceedings against unknown persons on suspicion of negligent homicide. There is currently no indication of third-party involvement or negligent conduct by the flight school, Weber said.

An expert has been appointed to determine the cause of the accident. The investigation will also examine whether the Tecnam P2002-JF, a two-seat, single-engine training aircraft, was properly maintained.

The wreckage is currently at the Federal Safety Investigation Authority in Vienna, where it is being examined in coordination with the Wels public prosecutor’s office. The authority expects results in several weeks.

The aircraft crashed in the Attersee area at about 11.25am on the Wednesday of the previous week, around 30 minutes after taking off from Salzburg. It fell into the lake about 300 metres from the shore. The reason it suddenly lost altitude remains unclear. Witnesses said the aircraft rapidly descended before contact was lost.

The two occupants, who were from Germany, could only be recovered dead. The wreckage was raised on Monday from a depth of about 160 metres after several attempts with underwater robots failed. Two specialist divers attached a recovery line, after which a winch pulled the aircraft to the surface and a crane lifted it ashore.