The pilot of a 40-year-old Russian-made Antonov An-2 claims he crashed into trees shortly after taking-off to avoid road traffic.
The privately owned Antonov aircraft took off from a field in Vårgårda, Sweden on July 8, 2023, with four passengers on board but quickly ran into trouble as the plane swerved to the left once in flight.
Footage of the incident showed the vintage plane crashing into the top of a forest thicket, as the pilot tried to climb high enough to avoid the trees.
The pilot told STV News in Sweden that he did not know what caused the crash and that before take-off everything looked normal.
“We tested the engine and everything and then it wouldn’t start,” the pilot said.
According to the pilot, who has flown this type of aircraft for 30 years, it was not possible to fly the plane out towards a nearby road as there was traffic there.
None of the five people who traveled on the plane required hospital treatment and the incident is being investigated by Sweden’s aviation authorities.
“Now we will pick off the wings and take it home this week,” the pilot added
The aircraft, registered SE-KCE, was first flown in 1981.
