Four dead as German aircraft crashes in Austrian Alps

A small aircraft which took off from Germany has crashed in the Austrian Alps, killing all four people on board. The propeller-driven plane went down near Wald im Pinzgau in the Salzburg province at around 12.45pm local time on Saturday.

Emergency services rushed to the scene, but authorities later confirmed there were no survivors. The aircraft had departed earlier in the day from an airfield in Oberschleissheim, near Munich, for what was intended to be a round-trip flight. Initial reports suggest the plane may have been a motorised glider, although that has not yet been confirmed.

The aircraft crashed in a remote and mountainous area near the Gerlosstrasse B165, a country road running through Oberpinzgau and leading towards the Zillertal in North Tyrol.

Firefighters said they battled through rough terrain to reach the wreckage, which was already engulfed in flames when they arrived.

The blaze has since been extinguished, but the area remains cordoned off as investigators work to establish the cause of the crash.

A district fire brigade official said the difficult terrain and dense forest had complicated efforts to reach the site quickly.

Police confirmed that three men and one woman were on board the aircraft.

All are believed to be German nationals, although their identities have not yet been formally released.

The Austria Press Agency reported that the plane vanished from radar shortly before the crash, prompting fears it had suffered a technical failure.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Austrian aviation authorities and local police have launched a joint probe to determine what led to the sudden loss of radar contact and the fatal crash.

The German newspaper Bild cited police sources as saying the plane had several occupants and had likely encountered difficulties shortly after entering Austrian airspace.

There was no immediate indication of bad weather at the time of the crash.

Authorities are expected to release further details once next of kin have been informed and the wreckage has been examined.