Pilot dies in aircraft crash in E France

STRASBOURG, Nov 7 (AFP) – A light aircraft crashed in a wooded area in the Jura region of eastern France Sunday, killing the pilot and severely injuring the three passengers, police said.

The adult passenger was said to be in critical condition and two girls seriously injured.

The plane took off at around 11:30 am (1030 GMT) from the Dole-Tavaux airport and crashed about half an hour later, probably due to the poor weather conditions, investigators said.

“The cloud cover was very low and it seems the plane was flying too low and caught on some trees and crashed,” an investigator told AFP.

The plane crashed near a highway, and rescue services were able to get to the scene quickly after one of the girl passengers gave the alert by mobile telephone, said police.