Around 13.00h today a Spanish military transport aircraft – an Airbus A400M – crashed just outside the provincial airport of San Pablo near Sevilla.

The plane was carrying a crew of six but no passengers: test pilot, co-pilot, flight mechanic and three factory engineers. Four died in the accident and two were seriously injured.

The aircraft was on flight trials and came down hitting an HT electricity pylon shortly after take off.

All political parties have put their local-elections campaigns on hold.

The Airbus A4100 (Grizzly) is the largest prop, transport aircraft in the world and although it is a multinational enterprise in manufacturing the different sections, the final assembly is carried out in an aircraft plant within San Pablo Airport.

The aircraft had been ordered by Turkey but had still not been officially handed over so the aircraft still belonged to the manufacturer.

Spain has ordered 27 of these transport planes, the first to be handed over in 2016, to replace the country’s aging C-130 fleet (Hercules).

Finally, although the accident occurred outside the San Pablo airport, it has been temporarily shut down with no landings or take offs allowed.

(News: Sevilla, Andalucia)