Two aviation accidents involving light aircraft were registered this morning, and in neither of the two there were any deaths or serious injuries, the ministry of transport announced.
At 05:50 a.m., a Cirrus SR22 aircraft with American registration crashed after taking off from Petrich in the area below Vihren Peak. There were a pilot and two passengers on board, who moved to a nearby shelter in the mountain on their own. By order of the Coordination Center for Search and Rescue in Aviation Accidents, their transportation was organized by a medical helicopter of “Bulgaria Heli Med Service“ to a medical facility for examinations.
"There is an injured person with a leg injury. The condition is that initially it was a sprained ankle, then it turned out that the leg was broken, after which the air ambulance procedure was activated, because the terrain in the high part of the mountain is very difficult to access and at 11:20 the helicopter arrived, at 12:00 it was with the injured person", explained to the Bulgarian National Radio Ivaylo Lefterov, on duty at the Mountain Rescue Service.
"This amateur plane crashed and that is the reason they are looking for an opportunity to land in the high parts of the Pirin Mountain. There are four people - one pilot and three passengers. There is no danger to anyone's life. I think there is no drama. The little devil, as they say. Teams of the police and the Mountain Rescue Service, as well as of the "Pirin" Park are traveling to the location so that they can provide comprehensive assistance to the people," added the mayor of Sandanski Atanas Stoyanov. With the help of a medical helicopter, they were transported to a hospital for examination.
The second accident occurred at 06:30 in the area of the village of Tsalapitsa. A Bulgarian-registered aircraft performing an agricultural flight made an emergency landing. The pilot was not injured.
The National Board for the Investigation of Accidents in Air, Water and Rail Transport has begun an investigation into both cases.