Special commission to investigate air crash in Ecuador

Ecuadorian Armed Forces Joint Command chief Hector Camacho said on Friday a special commission has been set up to investigate the helicopter crash that killed the country's first woman Defense Minister Guadalupe Larriva.

Camacho said that Larriva's son Rodrigo Avila will take part in the commission which will also include representatives from the Ecuadorian and Chilean air force and the Socialist Party.

During a press release to announce the new commission, Camacho declined to comment on the air crash in which two helicopters collided in mid-air on Wednesday night near a military base in Manta, some 260 km southeast of Quito, killing Larriva, her 17-year-old daughter and five army officers.

Larriva, 50, was appointed by president Rafael Correa and took office on Jan. 15.

"Anything we say now would be speculation, a mixture of reality and fantasy. We cannot make any statement before the technical area carries out its investigation" Camacho said.

"Professional pilots with extensive experience were in charge and the aircraft were in perfect condition, no doubt about it," he stressed.

Source: Xinhua