American 'Flying Samaritans' die in Mexico plane crash

American 'Flying Samaritans' die in Mexico plane crash

2010-10-17 07:05:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

ENSENADA, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- Mexican officials on Saturday said the wreckage of a small plane that crashed in northern Mexico on Friday has been found. Four Americans have been killed.

The small Beechcraft A36 was reported missing on Friday afternoon after the plane did not land in San Quintín, a coastal town on the west coast of the Mexican state of Baja California. The wreckage was found on Saturday.

According to the state's Civil Protection agency, four people were killed in the accident that happened near Santo Tomás, not far from Ensenada in Baja California.

Officials identified the casualties as passengers James Thornton, a plastic surgeon, Graciela Sarmiento, a doctor, and Andrew Theil, a medical volunteer. The pilot was identified as Roger Lyon.

Federal records show the 1973-build aircraft was registered to Lyon Roger C Trustee out of Cayucos, California. However, officials say the plane was carrying medics from Flying Samaritans International in California, which provides free health care to poor Mexicans.

Friday's accident was not the first fatal plane crash for the cross-border charity organization. On May 21, 2000, three of its charity members were killed when their small plane crashed about 180 miles (289 kilometers) south of Tijuana in Mexico.

The charity's doctors, dentists, nurses, translators, pilots and support personnel drive or fly to its clinics in private aircraft. The charity is organized in 10 chapters, drawing resources from California, Arizona, and Baja California.

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