[Updated] Swiftair Boeing 737-400, operating for DHL, crashes short of runway at Vilnius Airport

Aviation24.be is following reports of a crashed Swiftair Boeing 737-400 (registered EC-MFE). The aircraft, operating for DHL, departed Leipzig Airport, Germany but crashed in a residential area short of the runway at Vilnius, Lithuania around 3:30 UTC.

At least one person has been confirmed dead, and two others were injured. The plane was carrying four people at the time of the crash, and the pilot was later freed from the cockpit. Local authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, and emergency response teams are on-site to handle the aftermath.

UPDATE 1: Spanish and German experts to investigate fatal cargo plane crash

Spanish and German officials are assisting Lithuania in the year-long investigation, focused on aviation safety rather than fault. The investigation into the causes of the crash could take about a year.

This marks Lithuania’s first major aviation accident.

UPDATE 2: Black boxes recovered from Vilnius plane crash; inspection ongoing

Investigators retrieved black boxes from the DHL cargo plane crash site near Vilnius Airport. The site inspection is set to conclude within three days, after which the wreckage will be relocated. Authorities are now focused on analysing data and gathering evidence.