Plane crash in Al Ain kills 4 Americans

The General Civil Aviations Authority (GCAA) of the UAE announced that the small passenger aircraft that crashed during takeoff from Al Ain International Airport, killing all the four persons on board, was operated by Triple S Aviation (TSA).

 

As the probe is still underway, a statement from the GCAA also confirmed that the four persons killed in the accident were US citizens.

The Grumman 21T aircraft was en route to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when it crashed at the Al Ain International Airport at 8pm Sunday night.

The Texas-based aircraft service company TSA operates private charters including business aircraft and helicopters, it is learnt.

Few other details have emerged so far.

The flight was en route to Riyadh and veered to the left after takeoff and crashed on the airport’s taxiway, the GCAA said in a statement.

"Shortly after lift-off, the aircraft veered to the left and crashed on Taxiway Kilo," it said.

It said that the eight-seater aircraft was destroyed by the impact and a subsequent fire, and that an investigation had been opened to establish the cause.

Triple S Aviation, a Texas-based company with a consultancy in Dubai.

A US Embassy spokesperson confirmed the deaths on Monday and said that authorities would be working together to determine the cause of the crash.

The names of the victims were not made public.

The US Embassy released a statement of condolence on Monday. "On behalf of the government and people of the United States, the US Mission to the United Arab Emirates extends its deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the crash in Al Ain on February 27. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of those who perished in last night's tragic event," the statement read.