Official: 3 Americans die as private jet crashes in France

Paris (CNN) -- Three Americans died when a private jet crashed at a small airport in the south of France, a local official said Friday. Two men, ages 24 and 51, and a 30-year-old woman were on board the plane when it crashed at Castellet airport, said Didier Couve, a spokesman for the Prefecture of the Var department. The three were the only people on the plane, Couve said. The airplane, a Gulfstream IV, belonged to Universal Jet Aviation, a charter company with three U.S. locations and one in London. "Universal Jet Aviation confirms an aviation accident involving one of our Gulfstream IV aircrafts at Le Castellet, France, and we currently have no further details concerning the circumstances of this incident," said a member of the charters department, who declined to give his name, citing company policy. "There were no passengers on board the aircraft although the flight crew was lost. We are cooperating with all investigative agencies. Our focus at this time is supporting the needs of the crew and their families."