DUBAI: A light aircraft has crashed in the carpark of Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque injuring the pilot, officials said on Monday, blaming a technical malfunction.
“A Cessna light civil single-engine fixed-wing aircraft crashed in the outdoor parking lots of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque due to a technical malfunction. Competent teams immediately rushed to the crash site,” state news agency WAM reported, citing the General Civil Aviation Authority.
The Cessna single-engine plane was approaching an exclusive airport for private jets in the UAE capital’s center when it came down near the white marble landmark, the country’s biggest mosque.
“Preliminary investigations showed that the accident was caused by a technical malfunction while the amateur-built plane was heading to land at Al-Bateen Executive Airport, and crashed in an unpopulated area,” GCAA said.
“As a result of the accident, the pilot was injured and rushed to the hospital for necessary treatment and monitoring,” the authority added.
It also said that all concerned teams, including the National Search and Rescue Center, the General Command of Abu Dhabi Police and the GCAA, coordinated to secure the crash site, affirming “that the safety of civilians is their top priority.”
GCAA said that it will continue investigating the causes and consequences of the accident, and Emirati authorities urged the public to obtain information from official sources only, and to avoid spreading and circulating rumors.
