Embassy names plane crash victims

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Three people killed when a light plane crashed in the French Alps have been named by the US Embassy in Paris.

Dr Shimon Awerbuch and Maria Ribiero, who lived in Hove, East Sussex, died with Dr Awerbuch's seven-year-old son, Everett, on 10 February.

The Piper PA-34 Seneca, piloted by Dr Awerbuch, lost control in a snow storm and crashed into a mountain in the Grand Veymont area.

Next of kin have been informed, an Embassy spokeswoman said.

Dr Awerbuch was a senior fellow in the science and technology policy research unit at the University of Sussex.

US nationals

The Israeli-born financial economist specialised in energy, regulatory economics and market restructuring, according to his website.

He had also advised government agencies in the US, Europe, Mexico, the United Nations and the World Bank.

It is understood that Dr Awerbuch and Ms Ribiero were US nationals who had lived in the UK for a number of years.

The aircraft was bound for Cannes when Dr Awerbuch contacted air traffic control in France to say he was having trouble in a snow storm.

The plane disappeared from radar screens moments later.

A mountain rescue team working on foot eventually found the crash scene, at Grand Veymont, on Sunday.

The plane appeared to have hit a rock face and broken apart on impact, killing all three on board instantly.