24 Killed in Crash of Venezuelan Military Aircraft
A military transport plane crashed and exploded in the hills west of the capital shortly after takeoff Tuesday morning, killing all 24 people aboard, officials said.
Investigators said reduced visibility due to fog and rain was probably the cause of the crash of the Spanish-built twin-engine Aviocar, which was carrying 13 Venezuelan navy personnel, eight civilians and three crew.
Rescue officials said the aircraft crashed just outside La Sabaneta, 15 miles west of Caracas.
The pilot apparently was able to maneuver the plane at the last moment to crash in a deserted area rather than strike houses in a poor neighborhood in La Sabaneta, according to preliminary reports by Civil Defense officials.
The airplane had just taken off from Caracas’s Simon Bolivar International Airport on a flight to Puerto Ayacucho, 400 miles south of Caracas.
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