Two dead after light aircraft crashes shortly after taking off from Spa

A small passenger plane with two people on board crashed close to Spa airfield in Liège province on Sunday morning.

The German tourist aircraft took off in strong wind and crashed into a car parked on a nearby road. On impact, it immediately burst into flames. The two occupants of the plane died, but there were no other victims, confirmed local emergency services in a press release.

The driver of the car had apparently stepped out of his vehicle to smoke, reported RTBF.

Some 26 fire officers, along with police, civil protection and local authority services attended the scene of the accident, which occurred on the main road between Spa and Francorchamps.

The road remained closed on Sunday and Spa aerodrome shut down until Monday morning while an investigation into the accident was carried out.

Due to concerns over the aircraft’s fuel, an environmental plan was triggered, resulting in floating barriers being used to limit the effects of pollution.

Local police were working in cooperation with German police to inform the families of the victims. A psychological support unit has been set up.

Photo: ©Romain Rixhon/Belga