The YV-1449 airplane, flight number 518, crashed half an hour after lifting off from Merida's Alberto Carnevalli airport heading to Caracas' Simon Bolivar national airport.

The deceased passenger list includes Mayor of Mucuchies Alexander Quintero and his 11-year-old son Eisber Quintero, and two family members of Citizen Security Vice Minister Tarek Al Aissami.

Santa Barbara is a small aircraft company covering national flights in Venezuela.

According to the initial investigations, the climate was normal at the time of the crash.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2008)