2 Dead After Piper PA-28 Crashes on Sightseeing Flight in Austria

Two people died and two others were seriously injured Sunday when a Piper PA-28-181 Archer II, registration D-EHHV, crashed in a remote, rocky forested area near Gaming and Neuhaus in Lower Austria. The aircraft had departed Seitenstetten Airport on a sightseeing flight, according to reports from aerotelegraph and oe24. The operator has been identified as Flugunion Seitenstetten-Biberbach.

The deceased were identified by local media as the 47-year-old pilot, Michael K., and a 47-year-old female passenger, Sylvana G. Two survivors — a 41-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl — were transported to hospitals in Linz and Amstetten with serious injuries, according to Europa Press.

Investigation Underway

Witnesses reported hearing unusual engine noises before the aircraft struck the ground at approximately 11:50 a.m. local time, Heute reported. Austrian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. The PA-28 series is one of the most widely used single-engine platforms in general aviation worldwide, common in both flight training and private travel.