A little more information: The aircraft crashed in a rice field near Ciborro and both occupants were killed. The airplane was found just 250 meters from the runway. The pilot was a well know retired ex-TAP captain and at his side was a very famous Major of the 25th of April 1974 revolution that ended a large period of dictatorship in Portugal in favour of a democratic regime.
Source: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=73367 The plane fell next to a rice field in the zone of Ciborro at 20h30 on Saturday and half kilometer from the particular strip of the Farm of Knight and Pine, from where it had taken off four hours before for a trip. For return of 16h30, one aircraft with two members of the crew left the improvised track that exists here in this property. In principle it was to take a short flight. However, the owner of the strip, close to 20h20, telephoned for the territorial rank of Montemor-o-Novo because it found odd the aircraft not returned, it told to the RTP Martins commander, of the GNR. After this communication, came then one patrol that finished, later, presumably to find the aircraft broken to the way and with the two members of the crew already dead. Beyond the old captain of April Costa Martins, 72 years, the crash caused the death of Jose Alberto Sousa Monteiro, according to a source of the GNR of mentioned Ãvora for the Lusa agency. Jose Inacio da Costa Martins was in the command of the troops who, to 25 of April of 1974, they had taken the Airport of the Portela and the Aerodrome of the Base number 1 of Lisbon. The officer would be invited, to 31 of May of this year, to integrate the Council of State. In the governments who had been followed to the Revolution, he arrived to assume the folder of the Work. Source: http://www.vox.com.pt/noticia-detalhe-media.asp?id=532702&t=Dois-mortos-em-q ueda-de-aeronave-no-concelho-de-Montemor-o-Novo There is video footage of removal of the Ercoupe here: http://www.cmjornal.xl.pt/Noticia.aspx?channelid=00000010-0000-0000-0000-000 000000010&contentid=1C82F469-F205-4983-A760-8817C89242B0&h=2 It looks like the central spar section didn't survive. Mike ________________ Alon A2 A-188 G-HARY www.ercoupe.co.uk
