The pilot was killed in the crash but the 11 parachutists on board were able to jump out in time and land safely.
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The plane crashed in a field near Grenchen in canton Solothurn shortly after 2pm on Sunday.
The fate of the pilot was initially unknown. His death was confirmed in the evening. The plane that crashed belongs to the Skydive parachute school in Grenchen, the school’s director told the press agency Keystone-SDA.
The reasons for the crash are being investigated by the police and the relevant authorities. Several patrols of the Solothurn cantonal police, the Grenchen fire brigade and the Swiss Transport Safety Investigation Board are involved.
Images from the scene show the wreckage of the aircraft. According to a witness quoted by the online media 20 Minuten, which first reported the accident, the aircraft fell vertically to the ground.
Grenchen is one of Switzerland’s major regional aerodromes. According to the operator, it handles some 60,000 flight movements a year.
Translated from French by DeepL/ac
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