An emergency call at 15:35 on Friday from the Riedlingen airfield warned police that a small plane would soon have to make an emergency landing and likely crash. When officers arrived, the aircraft was already down the slope by the Danube with its nose in the water. Investigators said the 73-year-old pilot took off from Riedlingen alone. On the return flight toward the airfield, the engine refused to keep running and shut down. The pilot then lost height too quickly for a safe glide, and the aircraft did not make it over the river to the opposite runway. The man was not injured. Police, the fire brigade and the rescue service were sent to the scene because of the emergency call. The landing gear had torn off and the fuselage was damaged. Investigators said no environmentally hazardous substances leaked from the aircraft. The damage is estimated at around 80,000 euros. The incident is being handled by police as investigations continue into the circumstances of the engine failure and the emergency landing.