Brazil plane crashes after take-off, 16 dead

RIO DE JANEIRO,  (Reuters) – An airplane crashed  shortly after take-off from Brazil’s northeastern city of  Recife early today, killing all 16 people on board,  rescue and air force officials said.
The plane, operated by small regional airline Noar, plunged  into scrubland near a highway after taking off at 6:51 a.m.  local time (0951 GMT) for its planned journey to another  northeastern city, Natal.
Television images showed the body of the plane smashed into  small pieces of debris with only the tail section remaining  partly intact.
According to a statement from Brazil’s Air Force, the pilot  reported mechanical problems shortly after take-off and tried  to make an emergency landing on a beach.