Abu Dhabi: The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), in coordination with the competent authorities, announced a Cessna light civil single-engine fixed-wing aircraft crashed in the outdoor parking lots of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque due to a technical malfunction
Rescue teams from Abu Dhabi Police and Abu Dhabi Civil Defence have immediately responded to the incident.
In a statement, GCAA said that preliminary investigations showed that the accident was caused by a technical malfunction while the amateur-built plane was heading to land at Al Bateen Executive Airport, and crashed in an unpopulated area.
As a result of the accident, the pilot was injured and rushed to the hospital for necessary treatment and monitoring.
All concerned teams, including the National Search and Rescue Centre, the General Command of Abu Dhabi Police and the GCAA, coordinated to secure the crash site.
The GCAA has confirmed that it will continue investigating the causes and consequences of the accident.
The authorities also urged public not to spread rumours about the incident and to follow information from official sources only.
