Two dead in light aircraft crash in Belgium

BRUSSELS: Two people died on Sunday when a light aircraft crashed into a car as it was attempting to land in high winds at an aerodrome in eastern Belgium, police said.

The landing failed and the plane collided with a car parked on the road near the aerodrome in Spa, causing both vehicles to burst into flame, local police commander Jean-Michel Lejeune told AFP.

“Unfortunately, we have two people dead in the plane,” Lejeune told AFP. “It seems it was a failed landing.”

The pilot was German but the investigation is ongoing as to the nationality of the passenger, the officer said.

According to media reports, the driver of the vehicle had fortunately stepped out for a cigarette break -- which almost certainly saved his life.

Images on Belgian media show thick black smoke billowing near the runway and the burned-out hulk of the car, as emergency vehicles blocked off the roads.

Environmental protection officers are also reportedly on the scene, to ensure no pollution to the famous spring water bottled in Spa.