Germany-bound Cessna Citation II jet crashes off the Latvian coast

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Mark Winterbourne / Wikimedia Commons

A Cessna Citation II private jet carrying four people crashed off the coast of Latvia on the evening of September 4, 2022. 

The business jet, registered OE-FGR, took off from Jerez Airport (XRY), Spain, and was expected to land at Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN), Germany. However, the plane continued to fly across northern Europe towards Latvia before crashing into the Baltic Sea, Flightradar24.com data revealed. 

While the owner of the plane was registered in Spain, the aircraft was registered in Austria

The Latvian Civil Aviation Agency has confirmed that the accident occurred in the Baltic Sea near the coastal city of Ventspils. Rescue teams from Latvia, Sweden, and Lithuania are working at the crash site. 

While the circumstances remain unclear, the German newspaper Bild said that the crew of the plane had reported experiencing a pressurization problem shortly after take-off. 

The NATO fighter jets were scrambled to make contact with the crew onboard. But fighter pilots could see no one in the cockpit, Swedish search and rescue operation leader Lars Antonsson told AFP.