Following the crash of a small aircraft on Sunday in Groß-Siegharts (district of Waidhofen an der Thaya), an investigation into the cause of the accident was underway on Monday. The 83-year-old pilot of the plane, which was traveling from Krems to Dobersberg, lost his life. The Krems Public Prosecutor’s Office has ordered an autopsy, said police spokesman Stefan Loidl. The search for the wreck had been difficult in the rugged, densely wooded area of Waldviertel.

Hikers noticed the crash of the single-engine aircraft around 3:30 PM and alerted the emergency services. Austro Control also registered the incident in the afternoon. Around 250 firefighters, 25 rescue workers, and search dogs were involved in the search. The crash site was eventually located using drones. Due to its location in difficult, steep terrain, the emergency teams could only access the wreck on foot. The pilot was found dead at the scene.