This is the moment a Spanish Air Force plane piloted by an instructor plummets from the sky and crashes into the sea close to a popular beach in southern Spain.
The incident was filmed on the La Manga Beach near the town of San Javier in the south-eastern Spanish region of Murcia when a General Air Academy training plane crashed into the sea, according to the Civil Protection.
The 43-year-old pilot, identified as academy instructor Francisco Marin Nunez, was unable to eject and was killed in the crash, the Spanish MoD confirmed.
Video Credit: CEN/@arturoavila66
It was initially reported that the pilot had successfully managed to eject and a search team was trying to find him.
Meanwhile, the beach has been closed as fuel and debris from the plane continues to wash ashore.
It is currently unclear what caused the pilot to crash into the waves and an investigation is underway.
According to local media, around 100 witnesses in the area called the Spanish emergency services simultaneously at 9.38am after witnessing the crash.
San Javier mayor Jose Miguel Luengo said that the plane was a CASA C-101 light aircraft used by the Patrulla Aguila aerobatic demonstration team of the Spanish Air Force.
An investigation into the pilot’s death is currently underway. Marin Nunez leaves behind a wife and a young son.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub-Editor: Alex Cope, Agency: Central European News
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
