Overview
- The crash occurred near Medulin on Thursday and has killed at least four people, with rescuers searching the site for possibly additional victims.
- Photographs and on-scene reports show wreckage in a field close to the Medulin sports airport and multiple police, firefighters and rescuers at the scene.
- Officials have not released a definitive passenger manifest or cause of the accident and an investigation has been opened to establish both facts.
- Early accounts conflict on the flight’s origin: the Croatian state news agency HINA reported a German aircraft that departed Austria while local portal Index.hr said the flight left Germany.
- A local pilot told reporters the aircraft appeared to spiral before hitting the ground and experts say a spiral dive at low altitude can rapidly increase speed and stress on the airframe, a focus for investigators and for families seeking answers.