German businessman Karl-Peter Griesemann, a leading supporter of the Cologne Carnival, is seen here in a carnival costume in 2004 | PETER BISCHOFF/GETTY IMAGES

A private jet carrying four people that was due to land in Germany but which continued to fly across Europe as air traffic controllers tried unsuccessfully to make contact crashed Sunday into the Baltic Sea off Latvia, authorities said.

Karl-Peter Griesemann, a prominent German businessman, was aboard the plane with three others, a spokesperson for Quick Air, an air charter company based in Cologne, told Reuters. Local newspaper Express reported that Griesemann was the pilot and that he was with his wife, daughter and his daughter's boyfriend.

The jet "was flying between Spain and Cologne but when it changed course, air traffic controllers were not able to make contact," the Latvian civil aviation agency said in a statement.

Fighter jets from Germany, Denmark and Sweden were scrambled to try to make contact with the crew in the air as the Austrian-registered plane continued to fly across northern Europe, "but they saw no one," Swedish search and rescue operation leader Lars Antonsson told AFP.

According to data tracking website FlightRadar24, the plane took off from the Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera at 2:56 p.m..

The plane, a Cessna 551, flew over Swedish airspace in the Baltic Sea before crashing into the sea off Ventspils just before 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT).

The plane flew relatively steadily until it neared the Latvian coast, when it rapidly lost altitude.

It crashed "when it ran out of fuel," Antonsson said.

"Rescue teams with boats and helicopters from Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden are working at the crash site," the Latvian aviation agency said. The agency told the BBC that they believe they have found three parts of the plane.

Spokesperson Liva Veita also confirmed earlier reports that oil had been seen in the area, the broadcaster reported.

"No human remains have been found," Antonsson added.

It is not known what caused the plane to fly off course.

"We have no explanation at all, we can only speculate" about what happened "but they were clearly incapacitated on board," Antonsson said.

The BBC reported that Griesemann was a prominent member of the Cologne Carnival, and the carnival posted a tribute to him on its Facebook page.

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