Image: Onnettomuustutkintakeskus

A man died at Kittilä airport on Thursday after an accident involving the door of a plane he was due to fly. The pilot, who was aged around 50, suffered the injuries at around 4pm when the door of the Gulfstream G-150 jet opened as he was approaching it.



The Finnish Safety Investigation Authority, Otkes, has started an investigation into the accident. Investigators said on Thursday that the door appeared to have opened suddenly with some force, hitting the pilot from above.

Police said he died at the scene despite efforts to resuscitate him. They do not currently suspect a crime was committed in relation to the death.

The plane he was due to fly was registered in Austria and had arrived in Kittilä from Moscow. It was due to fly on to Yekatarinburg, and at the time of the accident the pilot and his co-pilot had completed external checks of the aircraft and were returning to the cockpit.

EDIT 12:27 Story updated with more details about the investigation.