A human tragedy unfolded on a Thursday afternoon when a United States Air Force affiliated petty officer, connected to Germany, and an instructor from the airport in Los Garranchos, San Javier, lost their lives during a flight. The aircraft involved collapsed while in flight and crashed to the ground.
The first individual, an instructor in San Javier with ties to Germany, was 54 years old. His partner, Hugh, was 47. Both were ultralight trainers and members of the Mar Menor Flight Club. The incident appears to have occurred during a routine exercise, not far from Istanbul airport, approximately 500 meters from the airstrip and near the RM-1 highway. Investigators are working to determine the exact sequence of events that led to a loss of control and the subsequent crash.
According to sources involved in the inquiry, the aircraft crashed amid in-flight demonstrations. The plane struck the ground and was described as completely burnt, with many components calcined. Authorities from the 112 Region of Murcia have confirmed that the cause remains under investigation at this stage.
Emergency teams, including the regional Civil Guard Judicial Police, were mobilized to the scene to conduct a thorough accident investigation. Firefighters from the Region of Murcia CEIS, as well as personnel from the Murcia city Fire Department and local police, along with ambulances from 061 and Civil Protection units from San Javier, supported the response effort.
The regional president, Fernando López Mera, expressed sorrow over the tragedy. He extended condolences to the relatives and loved ones of those affected and to the San Javier General Air Academy community, calling the event a profound loss for the local aviation family. [Attribution: Regional authorities and public safety agencies]
air disasters in context
Three years earlier, in September, a flight instructor and an AGA student died following a crash over the Mar Menor. The instructor, Daniel Melero, aged 50 and born in Cádiz, and Rosa Almirón, aged 20 from Córdoba, were aboard a basic flight training aircraft used by third-year students in such programs. The incident underscored ongoing safety concerns within local aviation training activities. [Attribution: Regional safety reports and press summaries]
In that prior incident, the aircraft involved was a Pillana basic flight trainer used by students beginning their flight instruction. A month before that event, another local tragedy occurred when an Air Force C-101 aircraft went down into the sea near La Manga, resulting in the death of the pilot, Francisco Marín Núñez, a commander from Murcia. These events collectively highlight the risks associated with training flights and the importance of rigorous safety protocols in military and civilian aviation alike. [Attribution: Historical accident records]