The wreckage of an aircraft found in the North Sea has been confirmed to be a missing German plane that disappeared last year.
The Cessna plane, which was discovered on Friday, has now been officially identified by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
An AAIB spokesperson said: “We were informed that the remains of a German registered Cessna 172, which was lost in the North Sea in September 2023, had been recovered by a fishing vessel on December 6 and brought to shore in Shetland on Sunday.
“The loss of the aircraft was initially investigated by the Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU) of Germany.
“The AAIB is supporting Police Scotland and working with the BFU to assist their safety investigation.”
The plane, which was pulled to shore by Peterhead fishing trawler Benarkle II, also contained human remains.
The Barnakle II PD400 crew made the discovery on Friday around 2.20pm while out at sea to the north-east of Shetland.
Police then met the crew at Lerwick pier at 7.20am on Sunday and confirmed there were human remains inside the wreckage of a small aircraft.
Shetland plane crash investigation
Police have since launched an investigation into the circumstances.
A police spokesperson said: “Police received a report of a small aircraft having been recovered from the water in the North Sea, north-east of Lerwick, around 2.20pm on Friday.
“The aircraft was brought to shore on Sunday and human remains were found within.
“Inquiries are ongoing.”
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