Twin-engine plane crash in Central Mountains kills two

CONSTANZA, Dominican Republic.- Two people died when a twin-engine plane crashed at La Cumbre, eight miles east of Constanza (central), from where it had taken off in on a domestic flight to the Las Americas Airport.

Mechanical failure caused the crash, according to preliminary reports.

The twin-engine US registry N711WX plane, owned by an American company was piloted by Victor Hugo Sanchez, accompanied by police captain Eduardo Leyva Perez, assigned to the National Drugs Control AGency (DNCD), at Puerto Plata Airport. Their charred bodies were taken to the local hospital morgue last night.

Civil Defense director Tito Victoriano said the accident occurred at 5:30pm, after takeoff from the Heroes de Junio 14 Airport.

DNCD agents cordoned off the airport to keep out reporters and unauthorized persons.

According to reports cited by listin.com.do, the plane was totally engulfed in flames, causing the death of the pilot and the DNCD officer.