After Intercepted by a NATO Fighter Jet, Cessna 551 Ghost Plane Crashes in Baltic Sea

Cessna 551 Ghost Plane Crashes in Baltic Sea

London - A private plane crashed in Baltic waters off the coast of Latvia after NATO fighter jets intercepted it on Sunday (4/9/2022). The plane was considered a "ghost plane" because no one was found in the cockpit.

According to FlightRadar24 data, the Cessna 551 flew from Jerez in southern Spain at 1:56 p.m. British time. German news site Bild reported the plane was supposed to land at Cologne Bonn Airport but reported pressure problems in the cabin shortly after takeoff.

NATO fighter jets from France and Spain were sent to intercept. But the fighter pilots saw no one in the cockpit or cabin, so it was considered a "ghost plane". However, initial reports from European media suggested that a family of three and a pilot were on board the plane.

Flight tracking websites show the plane was heading northeast in Paris, bound for Cologne, but it passed through the city and exited over the Baltic Sea. Swedish Maritime Administration official Johan Wahlstrom said German and Danish warplanes also shadowed the plane as it passed through their airspace, but were unable to make contact.

The route of the ghost plane being chased by NATO fighter jets before finally crashing in the Baltic waters

The Lithuanian Air Force added that NATO fighter jets from the Baltic Air Police mission in Estonia were also pursuing the mysterious plane. The plane passed near the Swedish island of Gotland, but FlightRadar24 recorded it as losing altitude and speed rapidly at 6:37 p.m.

The Swedish rescue service said the plane disappeared from radar and crashed in the sea northwest of Ventspils in Latvia. An Air Force helicopter and Navy ship from Lithuania have been deployed, with a Stena Line ferry also en route. The plane was registered in Austria. The Cessna 551 is a 14 meter long single pilot jet that can carry six to eight passengers.