[IN PICTURES] Wreckage of plane crash that killed five Frenchmen
Transport Malta officials spotted on site the morning after a twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner aircraft crashed shortly after take-off, killing two private contractors and three French defense ministry officials
![Forensic experts taking the bodies of the five Frenchmen away (Photo: Omar Camilleri/DOI)](http://content.maltatoday.com.mt/ui/images/photos/plane_crash_october_2016_10.jpg)
![Jonathan Joslin, emergency medical care, inspecting the site (Photo: Omar Camilleri/DOI)](http://content.maltatoday.com.mt/ui/images/photos/plane_crash_october_2016_8.jpg)
An aircraft which the French Ministry of Defense has confirmed was engaged in a surveillance operation crashed in Malta on Monday, killing five men: two private CAE Aviation contractors and three officials of the French secret service DGSE.
![The plane crashed soon after take-off, bursting into flames upon impact to the ground (Photo: Omar Camilleri/DOI)](http://content.maltatoday.com.mt/ui/images/photos/plane_crash_october_2016_2.jpg)
On Tuesday morning, Transport Malta officials were spotted on site as investigations into the crash continue.
![Transport Malta officials were on site Tuesday morning (Photo: Chris Mangion/MaltaToday)](http://content.maltatoday.com.mt/ui/images/photos/plane_crash_day_after_cm2070.jpg)
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday told parliament that “the likelihood” was that the crash was a result of a human error or mechanical failure, although nothing could be excluded before all investigations and inquiries are concluded.
![Prime Minister Joseph Muscat: 'Likelihood is that crash was caused by human error or mechanical fault' (Photo: Omar Camilleri/DOI)](http://content.maltatoday.com.mt/ui/images/photos/plane_crash_october_2016_3.jpg)
“What we can confirm is that there was no explosion prior to the crash,” he said.
![All five bodies were recovered (Photo: Omar Camilleri/DOI)](http://content.maltatoday.com.mt/ui/images/photos/plane_crash_october_2016_5.jpg)
The government said that the team had been on a French customs surveillance operation, with the aim of tracing routes of illicit trafficking of all sorts, including human and drug trafficking amongst others.
![The bodies belonged to two private contractors and three French defense ministry officials (Photo: Omar Camilleri/DOI)](http://content.maltatoday.com.mt/ui/images/photos/plane_crash_october_2016_6.jpg)
According to aviation specialist David Cenciotti, the Fairchild SA227-AT is one of two such aircraft. The plane, belonging to Luxembourg-CAE Aviation, was part of a fleet of planes involved in intelligence gathering missions in North Africa.
CAE Aviation also operates a public-private partnership as part of the EUNAVFOR Med.
![The plane, belonging to Luxembourg-CAE Aviation, was part of a fleet of planes involved in intelligence gathering missions in North Africa.](http://content.maltatoday.com.mt/ui/images/photos/plane_crash_october_2016_4.jpg)
![The road is still closed to motorists and pedestrians (Photo: Chris Mangion/MaltaToday)](http://content.maltatoday.com.mt/ui/images/photos/plane_crash_day_after_cm2068.jpg)