NTSB To Help Investigate Plane Crash That Killed Singer Jenni Rivera
LOS ANGELES (AP/CBSLA.com) — The National Transportation Safety Board has been called in to help investigate the plane crash that killed singer Jenni Rivera and six others in northern Mexico over the weekend.
Rivera, 43, performed a concert in Monterrey, Mexico, before boarding a Learjet25 early Sunday morning.
The flight took off around 3:30 a.m. and was reported missing 10 minutes later after airport officials lost contact with the pilots, Mexican authorities said.
Rivera's makeup artist, lawyer and publicist, as well as the flight crew, are all believed to be among those killed in the crash, CBS News reports.
There were no survivors, according to authorities.
"There is nothing recognizable, neither material nor human" in the wreckage, Transportation and Communications Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said. The impact was so powerful that the remains of the plane "are scattered over an area of 250 to 300 meters. It is almost unrecognizable."
Rivera's California driver's license was found among the crash debris Monday, Mexican officials said.
The cause of the crash is unknown. The plane was registered to Starwood Management of Las Vegas, Nevada, according to FAA records. It was built in 1969.
At the time of her death, the Long Beach native was at the peak of her career as perhaps the most successful female singer in grupero, a male-dominated regional style influenced by the norteno, cumbia and ranchero styles. Her fame grew as she branched out into acting, appearing in independent film, reality TV and the televised singing competition "La Voz Mexico."
Rivera's family plans to travel to Mexico Monday to bring back her remains for burial.
"I know my daughter is singing to our Lord," said Rivera's mother, Rosa, outside her Lakewood home.
Some relatives said they were still in denial.
"We're still hoping, we haven't seen the body," said the singer's sister-in-law, Ramona Rivera.
"She was an icon for Mexican music. This is a terrible loss for our music in Mexico," said a representative for the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles.
She is survived by five children and two grandchildren.
PHOTOS: Jenni Rivera: 1969-2012
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