Latvia - Cessna Citation II/SP, OE-FGR, crashes into Baltic Sea, pilot/owner + 3 passengers missing, poss cabin depressurization - 04 September 2022

[ifindedout]

Private Cessna aircraft crashes off coast of Latvia after NATO jets scrambled

A private jet crashed into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Latvia on Sunday, hours after NATO jets were scrambled to follow the plane.

The Austrian-registered Cessna Citation 551 departed Jerez, Spain at 12:56 UTC (8:56am ET) and its intended destination was Cologne, Germany, according to Flightradar24, a website which monitors global air traffic.

Baltic crash: Latvia searches for mystery Cessna plane

Wreckage and oil have been found where a private Cessna plane crashed into the Baltic Sea off Latvia's coast after a mysterious flight from southern Spain.

The Cessna, registered in Vienna, had been due to land in Cologne, Germany, but instead headed out into the Baltic.

German businessman Peter Griesemann died - it was his private plane. German media say the other three victims were his wife, daughter and her boyfriend.
Griesemann was prominent among organisers of the Cologne Carnival.

Aircraft is also known as the Cessna 551. IMO sounds like a repeat of Payne Stewart's chartered Learjet in 1999, and Helios Airways Flight 522 in 2005.
RIP Herr Griesemann.

 

[Caylee Advocate]

@Niner Yikes, in your neck of the woods?

 

[PrairieWind]

Private Cessna aircraft crashes off coast of Latvia after NATO jets scrambled





Baltic crash: Latvia searches for mystery Cessna plane







Aircraft is also known as the Cessna 551. IMO sounds like a repeat of Payne Stewart's chartered Learjet in 1999, and Helios Airways Flight 522 in 2005.
RIP Herr Griesemann.

I agree. the Payne Stewart flight came to mind immediately. Ghost plane flying until it runs out of fuel. There is something so haunting about it. God bless them all.

 

[ifindedout]

The fact that the pilot radioed ATC to describe the problem is in itself troubling. He was undoubtedly under the effects of hypoxia then and didn't know it. Hypoxia can incapacitate in about 30 seconds. Dropping the oxygen masks should've been his absolute first priority instead of pushing the mic button, or in fact anything else at all including consulting the plane's quick reference handbook. Once the O2 masks were on, declare Mayday and ask ATC for lower flight level and nearest airport.

Disclaimers: IANAP MOO

 

[Niner]

@Niner Yikes, in your neck of the woods?

Yikes is right!! First I heard about this - I am still on vacation in Sweden. Will keep an eye out on this thread. Thanks for the info.

 

[JustMyself]

The fact that the pilot radioed ATC to describe the problem is in itself troubling. He was undoubtedly under the effects of hypoxia then and didn't know it. Hypoxia can incapacitate in about 30 seconds. Dropping the oxygen masks should've been his absolute first priority instead of pushing the mic button, or in fact anything else at all including consulting the plane's quick reference handbook. Once the O2 masks were on, declare Mayday and ask ATC for lower flight level and nearest airport.

Disclaimers: IANAP MOO

Wow I didn't know the pilot actually radioed ATC - if you could send me a link to the info I'd really appreciate it. I've been following this since yesterday. Morbidly fascinated with ghost planes and how it happens. Thank you

 

[Niner]

Looks like the Latvian Navy found the wreckage & bodies...

Wreckage and human remains found as aircraft recovered following plane crash

Karl-Peter Griesemann is thought to have been at the helm of the Austria-registered Cessna 551 - which costs around a $1million new - when it left Jerez in southern Spain on Sunday afternoon

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Human remains, debris found at Baltic Sea plane crash site

Human remains and debris have been found in the Baltic Sea off Latvia’s coast where a private jet crashed in mysterious circumstances, likely killing all four occupants

abcnews.go.com

Media reports said the Austria-registered aircraft was built in 1979 and it didn’t have a so-called black box that would help determine the cause of the crash.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Civil aviation officials in Sweden said it appeared likely that Griesemann, who owned a Cologne air ambulance and aircraft charter company as well as an engineering business, had been incapacitated after reporting problems with his pressurisation system soon after taking off.

No further radio calls were received from the jet as it flew, apparently on autopilot, over the Pyrenees, changed course towards Cologne over Paris, failed to descend at the German city and carried on to the Baltic.

The military pilots all said they saw no one in the cockpit, but experts noted windows could be obscured by condensation caused by a loss of air pressure.

At their cruising altitude of 11km, passengers in the German's twin-engined Cessna would have had only up to a minute to put on oxygen masks.

 

[JustMyself]

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Civil aviation officials in Sweden said it appeared likely that Griesemann, who owned a Cologne air ambulance and aircraft charter company as well as an engineering business, had been incapacitated after reporting problems with his pressurisation system soon after taking off.

No further radio calls were received from the jet as it flew, apparently on autopilot, over the Pyrenees, changed course towards Cologne over Paris, failed to descend at the German city and carried on to the Baltic.

The military pilots all said they saw no one in the cockpit, but experts noted windows could be obscured by condensation caused by a loss of air pressure.

At their cruising altitude of 11km, passengers in the German's twin-engined Cessna would have had only up to a minute to put on oxygen masks.

Very very sad. Thanks for sharing this.
Oxygen masks must not automatically trigger with depressurisation in a Cessna? I cannot even begin to imagine this. I hope they didn't know what was happening.

 

[HMSHood]

Sounds like hypoxia, like with Helios Airways Flight 522 and Payne Stewart.

Ghost Plane: What Caused The Crash Of Helios Airways Flight 522?

The accident occurred this week in 2005.

simpleflying.com

Payne Stewart Plane plane crash

Information about the fatal Lear 35 accident involving golfer Payne Stewart.

www.airsafe.com

 

[ifindedout]

The incident has since been written up in Wikipedia.

2022 Baltic Sea Cessna Citation crash - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org