From New Zealand Herald:
Air NZ plane crashes in France, one dead - reports
7:21AM Friday Nov 28, 2008
PARIS - An Airbus A320 passenger plane crashed off the coast of southern France during a training flight Thursday, killing at least one of seven people on board, French authorities said.
Radio New Zealand reported the plane was an Air New Zealand aircraft on a test flight after repairs in France, which had trouble landing.
The plane plunged into the Mediterranean sea 20 kilometres east of the French city of Perpignan, near the border with Spain, at around 4.30pm local time (3.30am NZT), according to a communications officer at the headquarters of the government representative in the region.
One body has been recovered at sea, the official said on condition of anonymity in keeping with department policy.
There were seven people on the flight which left from Perpignan airport, said First Officer Sandrine Parro of the Regional Operational Center for Monitoring and Rescue (CROSS) for the Mediterranean.
Five launches, two helicopters and a patrol plane have been dispatched to the area of the crash, Parro told The Associated Press.
"The fuselage has been located. The rescue operations will determine if there are any survivors," she added.
-AP