- Title: SPAIN: MYSTERY CRASH OF SIX FRENCH MYSTERE JETS
- Date: 29th May 1966
- Summary: MAP SHOT OF HUELVA AND SEVILLE; WRECKAGE OF AIRCRAFT IN FIELD. Initials GM/VS/CCT/EC Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 13th June 1966 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HUELVA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Reuters ID: LVAE6JHVRHQEC9DTR2SWNN4A0H1V
- Story Text: A TEAM FROM FRANCE'S ARMED FORCES MINISTRY HAS ARRIVED IN SOUTHERN SPAIN TO INVESTIGATE FRIDAY'S CRASH THERE OF SIX FRENCH MYSTERE JET FIGHTERS. THE MYSTERES, ALL OF WHOSE PILOTS PARACHUTED TO SAFETY, WERE EN ROUTE FROM CAZAUX, NEAR BORDEAUX, TO SEVILLE'S SAN PABLO AIRPORT TO TAKE PART IN A SPANISH FRENCH AIR SHOW.
ONE FIGHTER CRASHED THREE-AND-A-HALF MILES (SIX KILOMETRES) FROM HUELVA. IT BROKE IN HALF AND BURST INTO FLAMES. OTHER PLANES CRASHED AT VILLA BLANCA AND LEPE AND TWO CAME DOWN IN THE WILDLIFE PRESERVE KNOWN AS COTA DONANA.
THE CRASHES REPRESENT A LOSS OF ABOUT 18 MILLION FRANCS (1,280,000 STERLING). ONE EXPLANATION, PUT FORWARD BY POLICE, IS THAT THE AIRCRAFT RAN INTO LOW-LYING CLOUD NEAR SEVILLE AND KEPT ON CIRCLING UNTIL THEY RAN OUT OF FUEL. BUT ACCORDING TO A COMMUNIQUE BY THE FRENCH ARMED FORCES MINISTRY, THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD HAVE HAD AMPLE FUEL TO FLY TO MADRID OR EVEN ALL THE WAY BACK ACROSS SPAIN TO BIARRITZ.
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