Plane crashes in the Emmental Former "Swissair" captain lands upside down in a field

A small plane has crashed in the Emmental valley. The accident happened around midday. An 84-year-old former "Swissair" captain was at the controls.

An air accident occurred on Monday afternoon in the Bernese municipality of Rüderswil in the Emmental valley. The Bern cantonal police confirmed an operation. Two people were injured. They were taken to hospital.

Willy Kämpfer, the long-standing "Swissair" captain, was at the controls of the plane, as reported by several media outlets, including the "Tages-Anzeiger". The now 84-year-old had triggered a glide during the accident flight due to engine failure. The wheels "got stuck on the corn in the cornfield, which is why our plane turned around". The plane finally came to a halt lying on its roof.

Kämpfer, who flew for "Swissair" from 1965 to 1996, including the Boeing 747 jumbo jet, actually only wanted to renew his flying license "for the last time", he told "20 Minuten". After the accident, he and his co-pilot got out of the plane safely, according to Kämpfer: "There was probably a guardian angel there too."

Accident plane was one of the oldest in Switzerland

The aircraft involved in the accident was a "De Havilland" biplane for two people, built in 1931. According to the industry magazine "Skynews", the aircraft was one of the oldest still airworthy planes in Switzerland.

According to current information, the small aircraft had taken off from Langenthal airfield when it had to make an emergency landing in the Ranflüh region for reasons that have yet to be clarified. During the landing, the aircraft overturned and came to a standstill in a field.

Several special services as well as patrols from the Bern cantonal police, the professional fire department of Berne Protection and Rescue and the Regio Langnau fire department were deployed to investigate the accident and work on site.

Note: This article was updated with the latest information after initial publication.

SDA