Share to friends















13 Shares

Nine people were killed on Sunday after a small plane carrying them to perform a parachute jump crashed into an island in northern Sweden.

The plane left Umea airport shortly at about 1.30pm, then sounded an alarm at 2.12pm, before crashing, according to local media.

Spokesperson of Region Vasterbotten municipality, Gabriella Bandling, said: “I can confirm that all those aboard the plane have died.”

Some eye witnesses told local media they saw parachutists attempting to jump out of the plane as it careened into the ground.

A video of the crash was reportedly captured by a 16-year-old. The video shows the plane spiraling as it nosedived into Storsandskar, an island close to the airport.

Airport operators said the plane was a small aircraft, GippsAero GA8 Airvan, that is designed to carry only eight people, including the pilot. The aircraft is popular with skydiving operations

Conny Qvarfordt – a member of the rescue team, told local media “It’s a parachute plane, and something seems to have happened just after take-off.”

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he received the news “with great grief”.

“I think of the dead and their relatives in this difficult time,” Lofven said

Talman Andreas Norlen, the speaker of Swedish parliament, said: “Every person has an infinite value. When nine people are pulled away at the same time, a large tear occurs in our social fabric.

“Let us give a thought to those who died in the air accident at Umea, but also to their closest and all others whose lives will never really be the same again.”

Swedish Police are currently working to identify the dead. They have also started investigations to know the cause of the crash, according to local media.

Read more about latest plane crashes through this link