Three German Nationals Lost

A Cessna 172 went down while attempting to make an emergency landing near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory of Australia on Saturday killing three occupants. Police believe the pilot of the Cessna 172 was trying to make an emergency landing on the highway when the plane crashed, according to FairfaxDigital.com.

The Cessna was one of three aircraft in a group flying from Western Australia when it crashed about 12 miles north of Elliott just before 11am local time. The three planes were traveling from Katherine to Kings Creek Station.

"It seems like a small, light plane has attempted to land and it's hit a wire going across the road and plummeted straight down into the side of the Stuart Highway, right into the verge," Said a service station worker who went to the scene, according to an ABC report. The Stuart Highway was closed for several hours due to the fact that fuel was leaking from the plane.

While it originally appeared the plane had two occupants it was later confirmed three men were killed. All were German nationals. The other two planes in the group landed at Tennant Creek and several of the travelers were interviewed by police. The groups, believed to be mostly pilots, were on a three-week aero-tour of Australia. They left Perth at the end of October.

The fatal accident will be investigated by officials from Darwin.

FMI: www.casa.gov.au/