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Small Plane trying to set record crashes

23 July 2007 16:30 (UTC +04:00)

An attempt to break an aviation speed record went horribly wrong Monday when a small "experimental" plane crashed through an apartment building in the Swiss city of Basel, killing the pilot and injuring at least three other people, authorities said.
The crash happened at 11:25 a.m., shortly after the single-engine plane took off from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, located across the border in France, authorities said. It went through the attic of an apartment building in the northwest of the city before coming to a fiery rest on a playground in a park.
The pilot was identified as Hans Georg Schmid, a former Swissair pilot who racked up more than 16,000 hours of flight experience during three decades at the former national carrier. His body was found in the park, said Klaus Mannhart, spokesman for Basel cantonal (state) police.
Schmid was trying to break a world record for a solo single-engine flight over 4,970 miles by reaching the U.S. city of Oshkosh, Wis. in 30 hours. The plane was fueled by 450 gallons of kerosine, airport spokeswoman Sabrina Walter said.
"There was a loud bang," said Silvia Kalman, an adult supervisor taking care of 19 children who were at the playground when the plane crashed. A jungle gym burst into flames, she said. Hours later, the playground was still littered with debris and the plane’s wreckage. /APA/