At least six soldiers were killed when a Mexican Air Force plane crashed on Sunday in the municipality of Emiliano Zapata in the state of Veracruz, the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) reported.
The plane crash took place in the morning when the air force’s Learjet 45 was taking off from the airport in the city of Xalapa, said statement from Mexico’s Secretary of Defence. The statement did not say what caused the crashed or how many people were on board the flight. But it said that six members of the military were killed and an investigation was underway. Among the dead were the pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft. Local media reported that the plane left and runway and burst into flames. The ministry said that most of the plane, except for the cockpit and tail, was destroyed as the aircraft came down in a field near the airport. The cause of the accident was not immediately known.
“The Ministry’s Air Accidents Investigation and Judicial Commission and the Inspection and Comptroller General of the Army and Air Force will carry out the corresponding expert reports to determine the possible causes of the event,” the official statement from Sedena said.
