Thai Air Force plane crash kills seven

BANGKOK: A Thai military Lear jet crashed as it took off to survey a route for an air race in central Thailand on Wednesday, killing all seven people, the Air Force said. 

The US-made jet went out of control and crashed in flames while taking off from its base in Nakhon Sawan province, 240 km (150 miles) north of Bangkok, killing two pilots, a navigator, two engineers and two photographers, it said in a statement.

"The plane was on an operation to survey a route to take pictures of an air raid competition due later this month," an Air Force spokesman said.