AN ex-military fighter pilot and his teen son are confirmed dead after their plane plunged into the water off the coast of Majorca.
Footage showed the haunting moment the small plane performed stunts in the air shortly before crashing into the sea.
Authorities have now confirmed the recovery of the bodies of a father and his son after finding the wreckage of a two-seat sport plane near a popular tourist area.
The plane, a Team Rocket F-4 Raider, was seen crashing into the sea near Soller just after 8pm yesterday.
It had reportedly been seen doing air acrobatics, including “daring but legal” 360-degree turns.
One of the occupants is said to be a former American military combat pilot aged around 60 who lives in Germany.
A Civil Guard spokesperson in Majorca stated: “At around 1pm, specialized divers from the elite GEAS unit, as part of the emergency response involving our forces, coastguards, the Navy, and Air Force, retrieved the bodies of the pilot and his son, who was accompanying him in the aircraft.
“The bodies have been taken to Soller Port.”
The 60-year-old and his son, believed to be 13, have not yet been officially named.
The dad is said to have a holiday home in Majorca, and is understood to currently work as a commercial pilot.
Locally, the pilot was described as a former combat pilot with “extensive experience” in flying F-18 and F-14 fighter jets from US Navy aircraft carriers.
Majorcan newspaper Ultima Hora reports that the second person feared dead in the crash was the pilot’s 13-year-old son.
Spanish police have not yet commented on the identities of the occupants of the plane.
Eye-witnesses spotted the plane performing stunts in the air ahead of the crash.
A Civil Guard representative mentioned early this morning: “The search for the two plane occupants is ongoing this morning following the crash last evening.
“The accident happened around 8pm opposite the Soller lighthouse and in waters about 30 metres deep.
“Specialists from the Civil Guard’s elite GEA diving unit, the Maritime Service and the Air Service are still conducting a search.”
In an initial statement released late yesterday, the force noted: “The two-seater plane took off from Binissalem Aerodrome around 6pm yesterday, and the accident occurred approximately 100 meters from the coast near the lighthouse at Soller Port.
“The remains of the plane have been located but we still have no information about the number of people inside.
“We have spoken to an eye-witness on a boat who saw the accident.”
According to local media reports, personnel from the Soller Fire Station, the Maritime Safety Agency, and Civil Guard were mobilized for the search and rescue operations.
While the plane’s wreckage has been found, the search for the occupants remains ongoing.
