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Malta plane crash: five people killed after incident during takeoff Malta plane crash: five people killed after incident during takeoff
(35 minutes later)
A small passenger aircraft has crashed on takeoff at Malta airport, killing all five people onboard. A small plane heading towards Libya’s coast to monitor migrant trafficking routes for the French government has crashed soon after takeoff from Malta’s airport, killing all five French crew.
The incident involving the Fairchild Metroliner turboprop on Monday led to the closure of the airport as an investigation was under way. Video footage showed the aircraft on fire after the incident. The twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner banked right and hit the ground, causing a huge fireball, at about 7.20am local time, video captured by a dashboard camera showed.
Airport officials said: “We can confirm that the five crew onboard are deceased.” Malta’s government said all five victims were French and that the flight was part of a French customs surveillance operation tracing routes of illicit trafficking, of humans and drugs, leaving Libya’s lawless coasts.
Early reports said the plane had been chartered by the EU’s border control agency, Frontex, for a flight to Libya. Libya is the main point of departure for tens of thousands of migrants who have been paying smugglers to bring them toward Europe by boat.
Frontex issued a swift denial, and the EU’s foreign policy representative, Federica Mogherini, tweeted: “No EU officials involved in plane crash in Malta. The flight was not related to any of the EU activities.” Early media reports said the plane had been chartered by the European Union’s border control agency, Frontex.
Malta’s international airport is used for surveillance flights to Libya due to its proximity. The government said the French customs operation had been active for about five months.
The airport was closed for four hours while debris was cleared, delaying more than a dozen flights, according to a notice on the airport website.
The Metroliner was registered in the US and leased to a Luxembourg company, the government statement added.