GUATEMALA CITY – A U.S. citizen identified as Thomas Gilbert Russell died Monday when the small plane he was piloting crashed in an Indian village in western Guatemala, first responders said.
A spokesman for the Volunteer Firefighters told reporters that Russell, 72, died upon impact while trying to land in a soccer field in the town of Santiago Atitlan, located 190 kilometers (118 miles) west of Guatemala City.
A woman who was in the aircraft with him, identified as 29-year-old U.S. citizen Helen Cernik, suffered serious injuries in the crash and was transported to a nearby public hospital.
Apparently, Russell lost control of the plane when the tail hit a tree as he was attempting to land. EFE
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