Spanish premier says military plane crashes, killing crew

MADRID (AP) – A military transport plane crashed near southwestern Seville airport Saturday, killing its crew, Spain’s prime minister said. It is unclear if anyone else was injured.

Mariano Rajoy said up to 10 crew members were aboard the brand new Airbus A400M aircraft that was undergoing flight trials at the airport.

Spain’s airport authority AENA confirmed that Seville airport had been closed for just over 1 1/2 hours as its fire crews went to attend a plane crash outside its perimeter fence. Three incoming flights to Seville were diverted to Malaga and Jerez airports, AENA said.

The crash also knocked out power at an industrial estate in the suburb of Carmona, AENA said.

Calls to the regional government of Andalucia went unanswered Saturday.

Photographs published on leading Spanish newspaper El Pais’ website showed fire services working to extinguish the smoking wreckage in a plowed field.

Spanish state television TVE broadcast footage shot from a car driving past airport buildings showing a plume of black smoke rising into the sky. TVE said the pilots had communicated with the control tower, saying their plane was in difficulty.

The A400M is a large, propeller-driven transport aircraft that is being assembled in Seville. First delivered in 2013, some 194 examples have been ordered by eight countries – including Spain – to replace their aging Hercules fleets.