Madrid: A military transport plane crashed near south-western Seville airport Saturday, killing its crew, Spain's prime minister said. It is unclear if any others were injured.
Mariano Rajoy said up to 10 crew members were aboard the brand new Airbus A400M aircraft that was undergoing flight trials at the airport. Spain's airport authority AENA confirmed that Seville airport had been closed because its fire crews had gone to attend a plane crash outside its perimeter fence. All flights to Seville were being diverted to Malaga and Jerez airports, AENA said.
An industrial estate near where the Airbus came down in the suburb of Carmona had lost electrical power as a result of the crash, AENA said. Calls to the regional government of Andalucia went unanswered Saturday.
Photographs published on leading Spanish newspaper El Pais' website showed fire services extinguishing the fire at the smoking wreckage in a ploughed field.
Spanish state television TVE broadcast footage shot from a car driving past airport buildings showing a plume of black smoke rising into the sky. TVE said the pilots had communicated with the control tower, saying their plane was in difficulty.
The A400M is a large, propeller-driven transport aircraft that is being assembled in Seville. Some 194 examples have been ordered by eight countries - including Spain - seeking a replacement to its aging Hercules fleet.
