The aircraft flew over Swedish airspace within the Baltic Sea earlier than crashing into the ocean. (Representational)

Riga, Latvia:

A personal jet carrying 4 people who was as a result of land in Germany however which continued to fly throughout Europe as air visitors controllers tried unsuccessfully to make contact crashed Sunday off Latvia, authorities stated.

The jet “was flying between Spain and Cologne but when it changed course, air traffic controllers were not able to make contact”, the Latvian civil aviation company stated in an announcement.

Fighter jets from Germany, Denmark and Sweden have been scrambled to attempt to make contact with the crew within the air because the Austrian-registered aircraft continued to fly throughout northern Europe, “but they saw no one”, Swedish search and rescue operation chief Lars Antonsson informed AFP.

The aircraft, a Cessna 551, flew over Swedish airspace within the Baltic Sea earlier than crashing into the ocean off Ventspils simply earlier than 8:00 pm (1800 GMT).

The aircraft flew comparatively steadily till it neared the Latvian coast, when it quickly misplaced altitude.

It crashed “when it ran out of fuel”, Antonsson stated.

The nationalities of the 4 on board weren’t instantly recognized.

“Rescue teams with boats and helicopters from Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden are working at the crash site”, the Latvian aviation company stated.

“No human remains have been found”, Sweden’s Antonsson added.

It will not be recognized what prompted the aircraft to fly off track. 

“We have no explanation at all, we can only speculate” about what occurred “but they were clearly incapacitated on board”, Antonsson stated.

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