Three Brits and one South African were killed as a DA42 small aircraft crashed near Dubai International Airport last night, according to reports from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The Government of Dubai Media Office confirmed all four crew members on board the Diamond DA42 small airplane were killed in the accident, which was on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems.
The Diamond website describes the DA42 aircraft as having a “high degree of crashworthiness” and being “”easy to fly and burns fuel like a single, but with the added safety of a second engine.”
It also states: “Diamond’s industry-leading safety record is the result of our commitment to protecting you and your passengers with a long list of active and passive safety features.
“Active safety features help to avoid accidents in the first place, the first and most important line of defence.
“Passive safety features are designed to minimize the probability and degree of injury, in case the unexpected happens.
“The DA42 offers the ultimate in handling, stability and control, ease of operation and structural, system and propulsion redundancies, all coupled with a high degree of crashworthiness.”
The aircraft, with dimensions of 8.5m lengthways and 13.5m across, has a top speed of 226mph, a maximum altitude of 18,000ft and weighs 1,410kg, according to the Diamond site.
Flights were grounded from 7:36pm until 8:22pm local time at Dubai airport, the world’s third busiest by passenger traffic, due to the crash.
The Dubai Media Office tweeted: “An investigation team from the GCAA arrived at the scene of the crash.
“The GCAA said air traffic at the airport is back to normal, adding that it will continue the investigation and provide updates on the progress.”