The Cessna 182 plane that disappeared while flying from Split to Germany around noon on Sunday was located in Brocanac near Rakovica, central Croatia, on Monday, Civil Protection Directorate head Damir Trut told reporters, confirming that the pilot and the three passengers on board were killed in the crash.

Croatia Control on Sunday notified the Civil Protection Operations Centre that the plane disappeared around 11.30 am at 2,300 feet north of Rakovica in Karlovac County.

More than 400 members of the Civil Protection Directorate, police, Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, firefighters and hunters were involved in the search for the aircraft.

An investigation is to be launched to establish the cause of the crash.

Danko Petrin, chief investigator from the Air Accidents Investigation Department, said that if necessary, technical analyses would be carried out in laboratories in Germany or France.