The Cessna 551 took off from Jerez in southern Spain at 1:56 p.m. UK time, according to FlightRadar24 data. German news website Bild said it was due to land at Cologne-Bonn airport but reported cabin pressure problems shortly after takeoff. French and Spanish fighter jets were dispatched but could not see anyone in the cockpit or cabin, Bild adds. According to information, a family of three and a pilot were on board the aircraft. Flight trackers show it headed northeast to Paris, towards Cologne, but bypassed the city and flew over the Baltic Sea. German and Danish warplanes also shadowed the plane as it passed through their airspace, but were unable to make contact, Swedish Maritime Administration official Johan Wallström said. NATO aircraft from the Baltic Air Police mission in Estonia also took over the pursuit, according to a Lithuanian air force spokesman. The plane passed close to the Swedish island of Gotland, but FlightRadar24 reported it rapidly losing height and speed at 6.37pm. Sweden’s rescue service said it “disappeared from radar” and crashed into the sea northwest of Ventspils in Latvia. An Air Force helicopter and naval vessels from Lithuania have been deployed, while a Stena Line ferry is also reportedly on its way. The plane was registered in Austria. The Cessna 551 is a 14-meter single-pilot aircraft that can carry six to eight passengers.
