Military Airbus crashes in Spain during test flight

Spain's defence minister is due to meet his German and French counterparts on Sunday, to discuss the deadly crash of an A400M military transport plane just outside Seville.

The meeting was announced by Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, during a visit to the crash site on Saturday. Mr Rajoy urged Airbus, the maker of the aircraft, to allow "maximum transparency" during the official investigation into the causes of the crash, to ensure that the incident did not "cause damage to the European project".

Four people were confirmed dead in the crash, which took place despite excellent visibility and clear weather conditions. The six-strong crew consisted of one pilot, one co-pilot, a mechanic and three engineers, all of them Spaniards and Airbus employees.

The two survivors were described as gravely injured, reportedly suffering second and third degree burns.

Spain's government said it would launch its own investigation into the crash, led jointly by the ministry of defence and the transport ministry.

The A400M is Europe's newest troop and heavy cargo carrier, designed for several Nato countries

Airbus said it has delivered 12 A400m planes so far and this was the third for Turkey, to have been delivered at the end of June.

The company said that it had sent a team to Seville and was coordinating with authorities about the accident.

"At this point, we can confirm that the aircraft is MSN23, an aircraft foreseen for the Turkish customer," it said.

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