Nine dead as plane carrying parachutists plummets out of the sky in northern Sweden

Nine people were killed when their plane plummeted out of the sky during a skydiving trip in northern Sweden, authorities said on Sunday.

The single-engine plane, a GippsAero GA8 Airvan which is popular with parachutists and ordinarily seats eight people including the pilot, crashed on an island on the Ume river shortly after take-off from Umea airport.

The accident took place a little after 2 pm local time on Storsandskar island.

Swedish media quoted witnesses reporting that some of the parachutists were seen trying to jump off the plane just before the crash.


The police said that all the victims were Swedish, with one person holding dual citizenship. The names of the victims were not been disclosed.