No survivors in Venezuela plane crash

In South America, search teams have found a plane that crashed in the Venezuelan Andes mountains just after takeoff. All 46 people on board were killed.

Map of Venezuela locating the Andes region, where an airliner with 46 people on board has apparently crashed.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Officials said they spotted the wreckage from a helicopter flying at high altitude over steep mountainsides. They said the aircraft appeared to be completely destroyed. The twin-engined plane crashed just a few kilometres from the mountain city of Merida after taking off from there for the capital of Caracas on Thursday evening.

The general view of the crash site of Santa Barbara airlines airplane at the Andean mountains Feb. 22, 2008. All the 46 people aboard the Santa Barbara Airlines airplane died after the plane crashed on Thursday in Venezuela's Andean region. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Overnight search teams had also trekked through rugged terrain, and at daylight on Friday aircraft scoured the Andes. There was no evidence the pilot had made distress calls to air traffic controllers. On Friday, President Hugo Chavez expressed his sorrow and promised a full investigation.