Plane Crash in Malta Kills Five French Customs Officials

**kellyhound** · #1 ● 10-25-2016, 03:14 AM

An incident unfolded in Malta as a plane crash claimed the lives of all five individuals aboard, marking it as one of the country's most devastating peacetime air disasters.

The unfortunate victims included French customs officials who were on a flight bound for the Libyan city of Misrata. Their mission was to track and combat people smuggling activities across the Mediterranean, where Libya's northern coastline has become a major launch point for migrant boats.

The ill-fated light aircraft met its tragic fate during take-off from Malta International Airport, approximately at 7:20 am local time (6:20 am BST) on a somber Monday morning. Eyewitnesses reported that the propeller plane suddenly tilted to its right side and plunged directly to the ground.

Disturbing footage captured from another plane on the airport tarmac showed the wreckage engulfed in flames in a nearby field, sending a towering plume of black smoke into the sky. The harrowing cries of passengers could be heard in the background.

Edward Degaetano, an actor who happened to be on a flight waiting to depart for London, described the shocking aftermath of the crash. "Moments before our take-off, we witnessed a massive explosion from our windows – initially, the cause was unclear," he recounted. "Soon, we realized that an aircraft had crash-landed, and that's when anxiety started to set in."

Mr. Degaetano recalled that everything seemed perfectly normal before the disaster struck. "There was a second explosion, and I thought, 'Oh my God, this is more than just a fire.' We are all a bit stunned."

A separate video captured from a passing car showed the aircraft descending at an angle from low altitude, narrowly missing nearby homes and roads before erupting into a colossal fireball upon impact.

A spokesperson for Malta International Airport confirmed the tragic loss of all five crew members aboard the aircraft and expressed condolences to their families. An ongoing investigation is in progress, with cooperation from relevant authorities. The incident is currently classified as an "accident upon take-off."

Initial local reports had suggested that the plane was carrying officials from the EU border agency Frontex, but this was later debunked by a spokesperson, who confirmed that no Frontex staff were on board. Federica Mogherini, the EU Commission Vice President and high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, also affirmed that the flight had no connection to EU activities.

The Maltese government revealed that the plane was leased to a Luxembourg company and reported no explosions before it crashed.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French defense minister, disclosed that the aircraft was a reconnaissance plane intended for Mediterranean surveillance. Among the passengers were three officials from the French Ministry of Defense and two private contractors, all of them French nationals.

The plane, registered under the US number N577MX, had its last airworthiness inspection in 2011, as per records held by the US Federal Aviation Administration. An inquiry into the cause of the tragedy will be initiated by Malta's Bureau of Air Accident Investigation.