UPDATE: Respected German businessman Peter Griesemann and family named as passengers of Latvian jet crash

UPDATE: NASA cancels the Artemis I space mission and rolls the rocket back into its hanger

NASA cancels the Artemis I space mission and rolls the rocket back into its hanger

Respected German businessman Peter Griesemann named as pilot of the plane that crashed into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Latvia, with his wife, daughter, and her friend also on board.

UPDATE: Monday, September 5 at 5;29pm

It has been revealed that the pilot of the Type 551 Cessna jet that crashed into the Baltic Sea was Peter Griesemann, Honorary President of the Blaue Funken in Cologne, as reported by express.de. He had departed from Jerez airport in Southern Spain destined for Cologne in Germany.

Griesemann’s wife Juliane, as well as his daughter Lisa and her friend were confirmed to have been on board the aircraft. It is believed that pressure problems occurred shortly after takeoff and all radio communication was lost with the pilot.

A squadron of German Luftwaffe jets was reportedly deployed when the aircraft was reported as being unresponsive and started flying in an unusual trajectory. The sudden drop in pressure could have caused the passengers to black out said aviation expert Hans Kjall, speaking with Swedish broadcaster SVT.

The Cessna is thought to have eventually run out of fuel before crashing into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Latvia. Search and rescue teams have been operating in the crash zone but so far they have only recovered the plane’s wreckage.

There is little probability of the occupants being found alive according to the Swedish Coast Guard. The remains of the private jet are being transferred to the port of Ventspils in Latvia.

UPDATE: Sunday, September 4 at 9:20pm

It has been revealed that NATO jets were scrambled earlier today, Sunday, September 4, in an effort to intercept a private Cessna jet that had become unresponsive while flying from Jerez airport in Southern Spain, according to dailymail.co.uk.

According to Germany’s Bild, the aircraft – which eventually crashed into the Baltic Sea – had four passengers on board. Information on the FlightRadar24 website indicated that the jet had not set a predetermined destination. 

The Cessna was observed making changes in its direction near the city of Paris, and then again as it approached the island of Gotland in Sweden. Around 6:pm it was seen to be losing both altitude and speed.

A spokesperson for Sweden’s rescue service said: “We’ve learned that the plane has crashed in the ocean, north-west of the town of Ventspils in Latvia. It has disappeared from the radar”.

UPDATE: Sunday, September 4 at 8:12pm

It has been reported by Breaking News 24/7 that the private jet which had become unresponsive, has eventually crashed into the Baltic Sea some 15km off the coast of Latvia

After leaving German airspace and heading toward Sweden, the aircraft was seen to make a sudden turn to its left. It then turned in the direction of Latvia and was reported to be rapidly losing altitude.

It finally crashed into the Baltic Sea, with Coast Guard vessels and three helicopters reportedly deployed and on their way to the crash zone.

Sunday, September 4 at 8:01pm

A private jet that was en-route to the German city of Cologne this afternoon, Sunday, September 4, has reportedly become unresponsive. All attempts by air-traffic control to contact the pilot have apparently gone unanswered.

The aircraft has changed its scheduled route and is subsequently reported to be heading towards Swedish airspace.

This is a breaking news story and we will do our best to keep you updated as more news becomes available.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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