Small aircraft crashes, pilot dies

A small aircraft crashed at Pobit Kamak, western Bulgaria on Wednesday, said the Interior Ministry. The pilot, a Bulgarian, died in the crash. There was nobody else on the plane.

Deputy Transport Minister Nikolai Naydenov, who was at the crash site, told the press that the cause of the death was head injury. The pilot did not wear a helmet, he added.

Wearing a helmet is not required for such flights but any measure would have improved the safety.

He also said that it was a training flight and that it was filmed. Two eye-witnesses were at the scene and tried to help the pilot but the injury proved fatal.

An alert for the crash was received by police at 1:30pm. The caller said that it was an aerobatic aircraft, E200. It took off from Lesnovo airfield in West Bulgaria.

The National Board for Investigation of Accidents in Air, Water and Rail Transport is investigating the matter.

The Deputy Minister said that the crash could have been caused by health-related factors or a technical glitch but is early to say what was the case.

He also said that the pilot was experienced and has been flying since 2011.