Bush Senior's jet crashes, killing crew

An executive jet about to land in Houston to pick up President Bush’s father crashed, killing the crew of three, when it was about three miles short of the runway.

The Gulfstream was hundreds of feet lower than it should have been and in thick fog when it hit a pole and crashed.

Mark Rosenker, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the light pole clipped by the plane was 120 feet high and the normal altitude for the jet at that point from the runway would have been 1,000 feet.

The jet was to pick up former President George Bush, who lives in Houston, for a flight to Ecuador where he was to give a speech at a business conference.

Rosenker said the investigation team would examine “a number of factors”, including the condition of the aircraft, the weather and the history of the flight crew.

He said standard toxicology tests would be performed on the bodies of the two male pilots and one female flight attendant who died in the crash.

“I was deeply saddened to learn of the plane crash this morning,” Bush said. “I’d flown with this group before and know them well. I join in sending heartfelt condolences to each and every member of their families.”