Three Britons have died after a UK-registered light aircraft crashed in Dubai, authorities said.

The four-seat plane plummeted to the ground around three miles south of Dubai International Airport, killing all four people on board, according to the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Three UK citizens and one South African died, it added in a statement.

The crash happened as the DA42 aircraft was “on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport”, said the GCAA.

Investigations are under way and the airport is operating as normal. </s> Three Britons killed as small plane crashes near Dubai airport

Three Britons killed as small plane crashes near Dubai airport

A plane similar to the one involved. Pic: Dubai Media Office

Three Britons have died after a light aircraft crashed near Dubai International Airport, authorities have said.

A South African person on board was also killed when the small plane came down about three miles south of the busy transport hub.

Flights were halted for 46 minutes on Thursday from 7.36pm to 8.22pm (local time).

The four-seater Diamond DA42, registered in the UK, had been involved in upgrading a runway and was used to "calibrate the approach systems", the airport said.

The plane is owned by Honeywell, which provides engineering services and aerospace systems, and is registered to Flight Calibrations Service Ltd, based in Shoreham in West Sussex, the AP news agency reported.

The Dubai Media Office tweeted that the "relevant teams are on the scene".

It added that an "accident involving a small plane with four passengers occurred".

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are working closely with the Emirati authorities following reports of a small aircraft crash in Dubai."

An investigation has begun and air traffic has returned to normal.

Flight Calibrations Service said in November that it had signed a contract to work on the UAE airport's "navaids" - beacons which help pilots to locate runways and to land.

On 16 April, the airport's southern runway was closed so it could be resurfaced and all its lighting and supporting infrastructure replaced. It is set to re-open on 30 May.

Dubai International Airport is the world's busiest when measured by international passenger traffic.

It is also the busiest airport for Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 movements. </s> Three Britons and a South African have been killed after a four-seat plane crashed near Dubai International Airport.

The UK-registered light aircraft came down after a reported technical malfunction, officials in Dubai claim. Among the dead are the pilot and his assistant.

It plummeted to the ground around three miles south of Dubai International Airport, killing all four people on board.

The United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) have confirmed the tragedy, which happened at about 7.30pm local time.

The crash happened as the DA42 aircraft was "on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport", said the GCAA.

Investigations are under way and the airport is operating as normal. </s> Three Britons have died after a UK-registered light aircraft crashed near Dubai International Airport, the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority said.

The Dubai Media Office tweeted: "A UK-registered small DA42 plane crashed three miles to the south of Dubai International Airport, killing four people on board, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced today.

"The four-seat plane crashed while on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport, with all crew members, three British, and one South African, killed, said the GCAA in a statement.

"An investigation team from the GCAA arrived at the scene of the crash.

"The GCAA said air traffic at the airport is back to normal, adding that it will continue the investigation and provide updates on the progress." </s> Three Britons killed as small plane crashes near Dubai airport

Three Britons killed as small plane crashes near Dubai airport

A plane similar to the one involved. Pic: Dubai Media Office

Three Britons have died after a light aircraft crashed near Dubai International Airport, authorities have said.

A South African person on board was also killed when the small plane came down about three miles south of the busy transport hub.

Flights were halted for 46 minutes on Thursday from 7.36pm to 8.22pm (local time).

The four-seater Diamond DA42, registered in the UK, had been involved in upgrading a runway and was used to "calibrate the approach systems", the airport said.

The plane is registered to Flight Calibrations Service Ltd, based in Shoreham in West Sussex, the AP news agency reported.

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One of the victims was an employee of Honeywell, which provides engineering services and aerospace systems.

A spokesman said: " We are deeply saddened by the news that a small, chartered plane crashed in Dubai yesterday evening and our heartfelt condolences are with the victims' families.

"A Honeywell employee was among the four victims. The plane was not owned or operated by Honeywell but by a third party engaged by Honeywell."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are working closely with the Emirati authorities following reports of a small aircraft crash in Dubai."

An investigation has begun and air traffic has returned to normal.

Image: Dubai International Airport is the world's busiest for international passenger traffic

Flight Calibrations Service said in November that it had signed a contract to work on the UAE airport's "navaids" - beacons which help pilots to locate runways and to land.

On 16 April, the airport's southern runway was closed so it could be resurfaced and all its lighting and supporting infrastructure replaced. It is set to re-open on 30 May.

Dubai International Airport is the world's busiest when measured by international passenger traffic.

It is also the busiest airport for Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 movements. </s> Four people were killed when a small plane crashed near Dubai International Airport, temporarily halting some flights in and out of the busy regional hub.

The crash killed three Britons and a South African on board the four-seater Diamond DA62, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority said. The UK registered plane was on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport when it crashed about 5 kilometers south of the airport.

The crash was due to a mechanical fault, Dubai Media Office said.

The airport said it halted flights from 7.36 p.m. until 8.22 p.m. local time over the crash.

“All operations at the Dubai airport are running smoothly after a slight delay and diversion of some flights as a precautionary measure to ensure security following a minor incident involving a small plane,” the media office said.

Dubai International Airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, is the world’s busiest airport for international travel. </s> Three Britons have died after a UK-registered light aircraft crashed in Dubai, authorities said. The four-seat plane plummeted to the ground around three miles south of Dubai International Airport, killing all four people on board, according to the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Three UK citizens and one South African died, it added in a statement.

The crash happened as the DA42 aircraft was “on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport”, said the GCAA. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are working closely with the Emirati authorities following reports of a small aircraft crash in Dubai.” The Diamond DA42 aircraft is described on the Diamond website as having a “high degree of crashworthiness” and being “easy to fly and burns fuel like a single, but with the added safety of a second engine”. The Government of Dubai Media Office tweeted an image of a small plane with the registration G-MDME in its initial announcement of the crash.

That aircraft is registered to Flight Calibration Services Ltd, based in Shoreham, West Sussex, according to Flight Radar. In November the company said it had secured a contract to carry out work at Dubai International Airport. The Diamond website added: “Diamond’s industry-leading safety record is the result of our commitment to protecting you and your passengers with a long list of active and passive safety features. “Active safety features help to avoid accidents in the first place, the first and most important line of defence. “Passive safety features are designed to minimise the probability and degree of injury, in case the unexpected happens. “The DA42 offers the ultimate in handling, stability and control, ease of operation and structural, system and propulsion redundancies, all coupled with a high degree of crashworthiness.” The aircraft, which has an all-carbon airframe, has a maximum speed of 226mph, can operate at a maximum altitude of 18,000ft and weighs 1,410kg, the site added. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest by international passenger traffic, was closed between 7.36pm and 8.22pm local time before reopening, said Dubai Airports. The aircraft was owned by Honeywell, a US-based multinational involved in engineering and aerospace systems, according to the Dubai media office. Investigations are under way and the airport is operating as normal. </s> A small plane crashed Thursday near the busy Dubai International Airport, killing at least two people, Dubai authorities said.

The government’s Dubai Media Office tweeted that the plane had at least four people on board.

Dubai International Airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, is the world’s busiest airport for international travel.

The airport said that it halted flights from 7:36pm until 8:22pm local time over the crash.

Dubai is a major city in the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula.

The crash caused delays at Dubai airport, the emirate’s government media office said.

Authorities gave no explanation for what caused the crash of the aircraft, a Diamond DA62 with a tail number belonging to Flight Calibrations Service Ltd. of Shoreham, England.

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said all four people on board, three British and one South African, were killed in the crash.

It said the crash happened 5 kilometres south of the airport, without elaborating.

“All operations at the Dubai airport are running smoothly after a slight delay and diversion of some flights as a precautionary measure to ensure security,” it added.

Dubai’s international airport is one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs. </s> Three Britons and a South African have died after the small plane they were flying crashed near Dubai airport.

The DA42 aircraft crashed three miles south of the international airport according to the Dubai media office.

The UK-registered aircraft is owned by the US tech giant Honeywell. Initial indications suggest the crash was the result of a technical malfunction.

A spokesman said: 'All operations at the Dubai airport are running smoothly after a slight delay and diversion of some flights as a precautionary measure to ensure security,' it added.

Dubai's international airport is one of the world's busiest aviation hubs.

The aircraft was on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport, the statement said.

Air traffic at the airport has since returned to normal, it said.
Three Britons and a South African die when their light aircraft crashes on approach to Dubai International Airport, closing the world's busiest airport for 45 minutes.