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Father of girl killed by crash-landed plane says pilot should have aimed for sea Pilot and instructor in court in Portugal after deadly beach crash
(about 3 hours later)
The father of an eight-year-old girl killed when a plane made a crash landing on a Portuguese beach has spoken of the horror of seeing her hit by the aircraft. A flight instructor and the trainee pilot of a small plane that crash landed on a crowded beach near Lisbon, killing a 56-year-old man and an eight-year-old girl, have appeared in court.
The Portuguese national accused the pilot of the Cessna-152 of putting his own safety before the lives of his victims, saying he should have landed in the sea off São João beach, instead of on the sand, where hundreds of people were sunbathing on Wednesday afternoon. The two men refused to speak to reporters as they arrived at the building in Almada, across the Tagus river from the Portuguese capital, to be questioned by a prosecutor behind closed doors.
The man, who did not give his name and identified his daughter only as Sofia, interrupted a live TV report on the crash to make the comments. The pilot and instructor could be charged following the interview. Legal experts have speculated on a possible charge of negligent homicide, which carries a prison sentence of up to 16 years.
He said that he told his daughter to run behind him, but though “she ran as fast as she could”, he saw her being hit by the aircraft. The instructor and pilot were unhurt and were led away from the Cessna CS-AVA plane by police for questioning after the incident on on São João beach, south-west of Lisbon, on Wednesday. They were not arrested.
A 50-year-old man also died in the incident. The two people on board the plane were unhurt. According to a recording broadcast on Portuguese television, the instructor could be heard telling a control tower that the plane had suffered engine failure and was going to make an emergency landing.
“We were on the beach at low tide where the water drains from the lake,” he told TVI 24. “I was with my brother-in-law trying to explain to my two daughters and my nephews what a rip-tide is and how it forms. The instructor had “a high level of experience and thousands of hours of flying”, the Aerocondor aviation school said in a statement.
“One of my nephews pointed out the plane, which was flying low by the sea wall. I told Sofia, who died, to run behind me, and she ran as fast as she could. A man who identified himself as the father of the eight-year-old girl interrupted a live TV report on the crash to accuse the pilot of putting his own safety before the lives of the victims, Portuguese media reported.
“When I saw the other children were safe and when I looked round to help Sofia, I saw her being hit.” The man, who did not give his name, said he told his daughter to run behind him, but though “she ran as fast as she could”, he saw her being hit by the aircraft.
The aircraft had been carrying a student and instructor on a training flight. The instructor had “a high level of experience and thousands of hours of flying”, according to the Aerocondor aviation school. “My opinion is that that the man wanted to land the plane without any concern for others,” he said. “He’s suffering, I’m sure, but his main worry was landing safely.”
Local reporters said the pilot was trying to land on a nearby secluded beach after the engine of the aircraft failed five minutes into the flight, but he was unable to reach the area in time. Another beach-goer, Filipe Janeira, 34, told daily Jornal de Noticias: “The plane first hit the man, who had his back to it. Immediately after it lifted up and when it descended again it hit the child’s head.”
Bystanders stepped in to stop angry crowds attacking the men, who are both Portuguese, after the crash. Bystanders stepped in to stop angry crowds attacking the pilot and the instructor after the incident.
“I got involved to prevent another tragedy from happening,” said Nicolas dos Santos, a professional basketballer who plays for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. “I wanted to help. Assaulting the pilot wasn’t the solution, it was to keep calm and wait for the authorities.” “I got involved to prevent another tragedy from happening,” said Nicolas dos Santos, a professional basketballer who plays for Benfica. “I wanted to help. Assaulting the pilot wasn’t the solution, it was to keep calm and wait for the authorities.”
Sofia’s father said he confronted the pilot, who told him he had lost control of the plane. “I could have punched him, I had that right, but I didn’t do it,” he said. “My opinion is that that man wanted to land the plane without any concern for others. He’s suffering, I’m sure, but his main worry was landing safely.”
He added: “First I want to make sure my family, my wife and my other daughter, are okay. Second I want to bury my daughter. Third, I want to make sure that man never flies again, and my fourth objective is to get these planes banned from flying over beaches.”
The instructor could face a five-year prison sentence if convicted of gross negligence manslaughter charges. He and his pupil appeared in court on Thursday as officials launched an investigation into the crash.
The chief of Lisbon’s port police, Paulo Isabel, said: “Any loss of life is to be regretted but given the fact this plane came down on a beach with hundreds of people on it at the height of summer, we could have been looking at many deaths and many injuries.”The chief of Lisbon’s port police, Paulo Isabel, said: “Any loss of life is to be regretted but given the fact this plane came down on a beach with hundreds of people on it at the height of summer, we could have been looking at many deaths and many injuries.”
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report