Authorities ID Mexican couple killed in Arizona plane crash

DATELAND, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities on Wednesday identified a Mexican couple who died last week in a fiery crash of a small plane in a desert area near the Arizona-Mexico border.

Yuma County Sheriff’s officials said the victims were 61-year-old Ronald Barba and his 47-year-old wife Marcela Barba, both of Tijuana. They said the couple was flying from San Diego to Nogales at the time of the crash last Friday.

Sheriff’s officials said the plane was fully engulfed in flames after it went down near Dateland, a small community east of Yuma.

An Arizona state trooper noticed a large plume of smoke while patrolling the Dateland area and the two victims were found dead at the scene.

Authorities said the plane was a Van’s RV-6, which has two seats and usually is built from a kit.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash, authorities said.