Pilot killed and three passengers injured as plane crashes on German motorway just feet away from passing cars

  • One died and three injured as plane crashes on motorway in Germany
  • Four-seater plane believed to have crashed shortly after take-off 
  • Plane came down between fence and a rail, just feet from passing cars

By Sara Malm for MailOnline

Published: 10:53 EST, 12 April 2015 | Updated: 12:06 EST, 12 April 2015

One man has died after a sports plane crashed onto a motorway in north-west Germany on Sunday afternoon.

The four-seater plane is believed to have come down near Hatten, Oldenburg, shortly after taking off from a nearby airfield.

The male pilot was killed in the crash, and three passengers have been taken to a nearby hospital, local police said.

Crash: The male pilot is believed to have died in the crash on Autobahn 28 near Hatten, Oldenburg today

Crash: The male pilot is believed to have died in the crash on Autobahn 28 near Hatten, Oldenburg today

One man, believed to have been co-piloting the Cessna 172,  is in a 'serious condition', according to emergency services. 

The small plane crash-landed between a wildlife fence and a guardrail, just feet away from passing cars, Nordwest-Zeitung reports.

'One person has died and two are seriously injured,' an emergency service spokesperson told Bild newspaper, while reports of a third injured passenger appeared in other newspapers.

A large number of emergency personnel arrived at the scene and Autobahn 28 remains cordoned off.

The cause of the crash is yet unclear, and police are expected to launch an investigation.

According to police, the male pilot was killed, and three passengers severely injured, but the cause of the crash remains unknown

According to police, the male pilot was killed, and three passengers severely injured, but the cause of the crash remains unknown

Down: The plane crash-landed between a wildlife fence and a guardrail, just feet away from passing cars 

Down: The plane crash-landed between a wildlife fence and a guardrail, just feet away from passing cars 

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