Cmelak Aircraft Crashes in Prievidza, One Person Killed

Prievidza, September 16 (TASR) – One person was killed and two other people sustained injuries in a crash of a small aircraft at the Prievidza (Trencin region) airport on Saturday, Zuzana Farkasova from the Fire and Rescue Corps told TASR on the same day.

“Firefighters were dispatched to the Airport Street in Prievidza at 3.30 p.m. to deal with the crash of a Cmelak Z-37 [“Bumblebee”] low-wing single-engine plane with three persons on board,” said Farkasova.

Meanwhile, paramedics helicopters from Banska Bystrica and Trencin were also dispatched to the scene.

“The Trencin crew was later withdrawn, as one seriously injured person died,” said Zuzana Hopjakova, a spokesperson for the Helicopter Rescue Medical Service.

The tragedy occurred during an Open House Day organised by the Aeroclub Prievidza.

“We organise such events annually for young people and the public to make them familiar with our activities. We wanted to make a more colourful programme by showing planes also in the air, not only static shows. However, a tragic event occurred,” said Aeroclub director Frantisek Zlocha.

He added that the pilot, who was killed in the accident, was from Dubnica nad Vahom (Trencin region).

A 23-year old woman sustained multiple injuries in the crash and was transported by a helicopter to F. D. Roosevelt Faculty Hospital in Banska Bystrica.

Another passenger from the crashed aircraft was taken with relatively minor injuries to the nearby Bojnice Hospital.