Two pilots of the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) died this Tuesday when the training plane in which they were traveling crashed in a populated area of the municipality of La Libertad, in the coastal province of Santa Elena, in the southwest of the country, as reported this Tuesday by the military institution.
The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when the basic training aircraft identified as ‘DA 20C1 FAE-1064’, which belongs to the ‘Cosme Rennella Barbatto’ Higher Military Aviation School (ESMA), “suffered an accident while carrying out an instruction flight” in the canton (municipality) of La Libertad. According to social networks, the device crashed on a busy street in La Libertad, and even collided with a vehicle who was passing through the place.
The FAE confirmed the death of the two crew members of the plane, Captain Diana Estefanía Ruiz Solís and cadet Juan Andrés Pacheco Ramírez. In addition, he indicated that an Accident Investigation Board will be formed to clarify the causes of the tragedy. Personnel from the institution are currently managing the corresponding legal procedures and providing the necessary support to the families of the deceased, the source added.
