Dozens Likely Dead In Cuban Plane Crash

Recovery teams searching Caribbean waters where a Cuban airliner crashed recovered the plane’s in-flight data recorder and 21 bodies on Saturday, an official report said. The other 23 people aboard the aircraft were missing.

Cubana de Aviacion Flight 787 plunged into the sea Friday night about three minutes after takeoff from the southeast city of Santiago de Cuba en route to Havana, airline spokesman Manolo Fernandez said.

Fernandez said 39 passengers and a crew of five were on the Russian-made, twin-engine An-24 aircraft.

Fernandez said there were eight non-Cubans on the flight - six Spaniards and two Brazilians.