5 die in Portugal plane crash: Local media

By Hale Turkes

ANKARA (AA) - Five people were killed when a Swiss-registered light aircraft crashed into a supermarket parking lot in Tires, Cascais, on the outskirts of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, according to local media reports Monday.

Four of the victims were the French pilot and three passengers aboard the plane, including two French nationals and one Swiss, the English language media outlet Portugal News said, adding that the victim on the ground was understood to be a truck driver.

The incident happened at 11.05 a.m. local time (1105GMT) shortly after the plane, a P-31 light aircraft, took off from Cascais Municipal Aerodome, the airport confirmed in a statement.

The flight of private operator Symbios Orthopaedic was headed to the French city of Marseilles, it said.

The plane had reportedly arrived in Portugal last Friday from Geneva.

The aircraft crashed approximately 2,000 metres after take off, according to Portugal's air crash investigation bureau.

Portugal's National Authority for Civil Protection said everything indicated there had been a mid-air explosion.