Speed record attempt ends in tragedy

AN ATTEMPT to break an aviation speed record went horribly wrong yesterday 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 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 north-west 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.

Mr Schmid had been attempting to break a world record for a solo single-engine flight of more than 8,000km by reaching the US city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 30 hours. The plane was fuelled by 1,700 litres of kerosene, said airport spokeswoman Sabrina Walter.