GippsAero GA8 Airvan, a small aircraft carrying parachutists, crashed in northern Sweden, killing all nine people on board soon after take-off from Umea airport.
Designed to carry skydivers, the aircraft was carrying passengers on a skydiving trip.
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The cause of the crash on an island on the Ume river is yet to be determined, reported the BBC.
A police spokesman said that all the victims were Swedish, with one person holding dual citizenship, according to a report by Reuters.
Swedish media quoted witnesses reporting that some of the parachutists were seen trying to jump off the plane just before the event happened.
Witness Peter Larsson was quoted by the daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter as saying: “I heard a weird sound, which didn’t sound normal. I looked up and saw a plane spinning like a top.
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By GlobalData“At first, I thought it was an acrobatic flight, but we quickly realised that something was wrong.”
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden was quoted by BBC as saying: “In view of today’s tragic air crash outside Umea, which took nine people’s lives, I want to convey my condolences.”
Sweden Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said that the government was working with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the incident.
Designed and manufactured in Australia by GippsAero, a Mahindra Aerospace company, the aircraft entered service in 2000.
The single-engined utility aircraft GippsAero GA8 Airvan 8 is used in various roles, including passenger services, freight, sightseeing, observation, as well as search and rescue.
