Firefighters work at the crash site after an airplane crashed...

Firefighters work at the crash site after an airplane crashed into a residential building, in Korschenbroich, Germany, Saturday, May 31, 2025. Credit: AP/Sascha Rixkens

BERLIN — A small plane crashed into the terrace of a residential building in western Germany as it approached an airport on Saturday and two people were killed, police said.

The crash happened around midday in Korschenbroich, near the city of Mönchengladbach and not far from the Dutch border.

The plane hit the terrace of the building and a fire broke out, causing extensive damage to the house. Police said two people died and one of them was the plane's pilot, a 71-year-old woman, German news agency dpa reported.

Investigators were working to identify the second victim. Of the three people registered as living in the building, two weren't there at the time of the crash and later checked in with police.

The pilot had taken off from Alkersleben, near the eastern German city of Erfurt, on Saturday morning. She planned to land at the airport in Mönchengladbach, just under 4 kilometers (2 1/2 miles) from the crash site, but reported that she was having technical problems.

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