10 dead as 'air taxi' plane crashes in Brazil Amazon

A twin-engine plane crashed in the Brazilian Amazon state of Para, killing all nine passengers and the pilot, company officials said after finding the wreckage early Wednesday. The Embraer 821 aircraft belonged to Fretax, an "air taxi" company offering short-hop flights around the region. The plane's wreckage was discovered after the aircraft went missing late Tuesday in the vicinity of Monte Dourado, some 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the state capital of Belen. Passengers on the ill-fated flight were officials from a construction company that is building a hydro-electric plant in the area.