Dubai plane crash: Three Britons killed after small aircraft crashes near airport, authorities say

All four crew members on board die aboard twin propeller plane

(AP/Adam Schreck)

Three Britons have died after a UK-registered light aircraft crashed near Dubai International Airport killing everyone on board.

A South African national was also killed after the Diamond DA42 twin propeller plane came down about three miles south of the airport on Thursday night.

Dubai International Airport said it halted flights for over an hour after the crash, before they were able to resume.

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".

It added: “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.”

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) told The Independent: “We are working closely with the Emirati authorities following reports of a small aircraft crash in Dubai.”

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

That aircraft is registered to Flight Calibration Services Ltd, based in Shoreham, West Sussex, according to Flight Radar. The company said it had secured a contract to carry out work at Dubai International Airport in November.

A spokesman declined to comment on Thursday evening.

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

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".

It 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."