“Accident Or Hybrid Incident”: Berlin Comments On DHL Cargo Plane Crash

Update (1116ET):

AFP News reports that Berlin said the DHL cargo plane crash in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, could have been either an “accident or a hybrid incident.” No other additional details were given.

Separately, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports that German logistics giant DHL said there was no evidence of suspicious packages on board the cargo plane.

DHL B737-476(SF) cargo plane crash near Vilnius Airport (VNO), Lithuania shows no issues reported by the pilots before the terrain impact, according to Lithuanian officials.

The aircraft was carrying out flight QY5960 from Leipzig to Vilnius and the accident took place while… https://t.co/KKmGJjzwUR pic.twitter.com/Lw1suxfAtK

— FL360aero (@fl360aero) November 25, 2024

“At this point in time, we have no information that indicates anything unusual or suspicious,” Ausra Rutkauskiene, the sales and marketing manager at DHL Lithuania, said.

Rutkauskiene added that DHL would not comment further while investigations were ongoing. She said, “We don’t want to speculate” on the cause of the crash.

New footage…

Video footage via Lithuanian National Television gives further perspective of this morning’s crash of DHL flight QY5960 whilst on approach to Vilnius International Airport.https://t.co/nr0nuzaPvt#Vilnius #DHLVilnius #VilniusAirport #AvGeek pic.twitter.com/VlQoPO6RrP

— AviationSource (@AvSourceNews) November 25, 2024

*   *   * 

A Swift Air Boeing 737-476, operating on behalf of DHL, crashed into a residential area in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, killing one person on board and injuring three others. 

The cargo plane was on final approach to Vilnius International Airport when it crashed about a mile short of the runway.

“A DHL cargo plane flying from Leipzig, Germany, to Vilnius Airport crashed in Liepkalnis at around 5:30 a.m. City services are currently on-site, along with a fire truck and a command team from Vilnius Airport. Airport operations are not disrupted at this time,” Lithuanian Airports wrote on X. 

A DHL cargo plane flying from Leipzig, Germany, to Vilnius Airport crashed in Liepkalnis at around 5:30 a.m. City services are currently on-site, along with a fire truck and a command team from Vilnius Airport. Airport operations are not disrupted at this time.

— Lithuanian Airports (@LTairports) November 25, 2024

Lithuania’s national police force told NBC News in an emailed statement, “According to preliminary data, a cargo aircraft carrying 4 people crashed near the Vilnius International airport at 5.30 a.m. local time. 1 person was declared dead, 3 injured.” 

X account Breaking Aviation News & Videos posted a video of the Boeing cargo jet on final, then crashing one mile short of the runway… 

Swiftair cargo 737-400 has crashed while on approach to Vilnius International Airport, Lithuania.

One pilot and one person on the ground were killed. The second pilot and two others survived with unspecified injuries.

The aircraft, operated by a DHL contractor Swiftair, was… pic.twitter.com/FUyexI9ObE

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) November 25, 2024

Footage of the crash area. 

A DHL cargo plane crashed into a neighborhood close to Lithuania’s Vilnius Airport.#DHL #Cargoplancrash#Lithuania pic.twitter.com/62o2Fw3JIa

— Generous. (@MirFaizan306) November 25, 2024

VIDEO: A cargo plane flying from Germany to Lithuania crashed early Monday near the airport of the capital Vilnius killing one person, firefighters said.

“The plane was due to land at Vilnius airport and crashed a few kilometres away,” Renatas Pozela, the head of the… pic.twitter.com/iytNG46zcL

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) November 25, 2024

One OSINT account on X, who goes by “auonsson,” alleges, “DHL/Swift flight BCS18D was jammed as it crashed. Might not be related. Vid on the other site.” 

DHL/Swift flight BCS18D was jammed as it crashed. Might not be related. Vid on the other site. pic.twitter.com/0yjJwH8QXw

— auonsson (@auonsson) November 25, 2024

Hmm.

GPS/GNSS disruption around The Suwalki Gap and the area around Kaliningrad Where DHL flight BCS18D crashed in Lithuania is a GPS. pic.twitter.com/vmil5eyGdb

— Wayne Metcalf (@waynepmetcalf) November 25, 2024

Or maybe?

During the last minute or so of #DHL flight #BCS18D, the pilot confused some info in his read backs of #Vilnius ATC instructions while approaching RWY 19.https://t.co/710JSIdipH

1. Altimeter settings: “QNH 1019″ instead of QNH 1020”, possibly mixing up RWY with QNH info. https://t.co/906arlCjEU

— Der Freisteller 🇪🇺 🇩🇪 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@Freisteller) November 25, 2024

ATC audio captures the cargo plane on approach. 

The investigation into the crash is just beginning. Speculation will likely focus on whether GPS jamming caused the pilots to miss the runway on final – or possibly human error… However, nothing is conclusive yet. 

This incident comes weeks after Western security officials made new bombshell allegations of a Russian plot aimed at bringing down cargo and passenger planes in Europe.