Plane accident in central Germany leaves 3 people dead

BERLIN – Three people died after they were hit by a small plane in central Germany on Sunday as it attempted to take off after an aborted landing, police said.

Police in Hesse state said the victims, two women and a child to be around age 9 or 10, were on a path next to an airfield at the Wasserkuppe hill near Fulda, German news agency dpa reported.

They said the Cessna was attempting to take off after an aborted landing maneuver, but failed to gain lift and broke through a barrier, hitting the three.

Five other people — the four on board the plane and an eyewitness — were suffering from shock.

The plane came from the Mannheim area of southwestern Germany and had been on an excursion to the Wasserkuppe.