Overview

• The wreckage of a German-registered Cessna 172 was recovered by a fishing vessel northeast of Lerwick, Shetland, and brought ashore on Sunday, December 8, 2024.
• The aircraft, piloted by a 62-year-old experienced flyer, disappeared on September 30, 2023, after deviating from its planned route to Bayreuth, Germany, and flying northwest over the North Sea.
• Human remains were found inside the wreckage, and investigations are ongoing to confirm the identity of the deceased, believed to be the pilot.
• The pilot had requested a plane equipped with autopilot and reportedly told his wife on the morning of the flight that she would not accompany him as originally planned.
• Authorities from the UK and Germany, including the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and the Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU), are collaborating to investigate the circumstances of the disappearance and crash.