The aircraft vanished off the radar at 10:34 a.m. It crashed in a forest just after the road crossing from Predmeja to Lokve. The aircraft then went up in flames and was completely destroyed. Firefighters later discovered the remains of several charred bodies inside the aircraft.
The four who died are reported to be male and citizens of Germany. The identity of two of the bodies has already been established. The pilot was a 73-year-old German. In the plane was also Thomas Wagner, a 38-year-old businessman. According to the German n-tv.de website, quoting the Bild tabloid, the 38-year-old founder of German company Unister, Thomas Wagner, had a suitcase full of money with him on his flight from Venice towards Leipzig. Bild does not mention a specific amount. Allegedly the sum carried in the suitcase was around four million euros. It is still not clear why Wagner was carrying so much money with him.
Documents found in the plane by the Slovenian police show that apart from Wagner and the pilot there were also two more Germans in the plane, a 39-year-old and a 65-year-old. Their identity will be confirmed once the forensic autopsy is concluded. Unofficially, the other two in the plane were Wagner's partner in Unister, 39-year-old Oliver Schilling, and a 65-year-old banker.
It is not clear how the small aircraft even managed to take off and fly considering the weather conditions and strong winds at that time. Eyewitnesses say that shortly before the crash the plane whirled in the air as if it were doing "aerobatic stunts". They say it crashed nose-first and then caught fire. There was a strong storm at the time of the crash.
From Leipzig to Venice and back
The plane did not take off from Ajdovščina as the airport there is closed. It started its journey in Leipzig, Germany, stopped in Venice, and then took off from there en route back to Leipzig across Slovenia. The police has confirmed that the aircraft was in good condition and had obtained all the necessary flying permissions, reports TV Slovenija's correspondent.
Problems with ice and a call for help
Prior to the crash the pilot reported problems with icing to Slovenia's air traffic control. Icing occurs when an aircraft enters cold air conditions. The pilot loses visibility because of the icing and the formation of ice on the wings means the plane is no longer aerodynamic. Shortly after the report Slovenia's air traffic control also received a distress call (Mayday), after what the aircraft vanished off the radar.
Al. Ma, A K. K. (MMC), M. D. (TV SLO); translated by K. J.
