Tom Cruise's new film 'Mena' claims two lives in a lethal plane crash in Medellin, Colombia during filming. It was reported that bad weather conditions set off the tragic events of September 11, 2015 that left experienced pilots Alan Purwin and Carlos Berl dead.
According to the Associated Press, two lives have been claimed after a lethal plane crash occurred in Medellin, Colombia during a shoot for the upcoming film starring Tom Cruise. It was reported that the actor flew in a helicopter across the Andes Mountains just ten minutes before the crash from another aircraft occurred.
The Civil Aviation Authority published a report that veteran pilot Alan Purwin and his companion Carlos Berl on board the twin-engine Piper-Aerostar 600 died after a crash into the jungled mountains. The third person on the plane, Jimmy Lee Garland, was said to have sustained massive injuries but survived.
According to another report by Entertainment Weekly, the plane took off from the town of Santa Fe de Antioquia on its way to Medellin last September 11, 2015 and met bad weather along the way.
A spokesperson from Universal Pictures offered a statement that read, "An aircraft carrying crew members crashed while returning to Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellin following production wrap on the film Mena resulting in two fatalities... Further details are not available at this time. On behalf of the production, our hearts and prayers go out to the crew members and their families at this difficult time."
Purwin was a veteran Hollywood pilot and founder of Los Angeles-based Helinet Technologies, according to Variety. He worked on films including 'Transformers', 'Pearl Harbor' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. It was further reported that 'Mena' director Doug Liman had been shooting on-location in Colombia since August of this year.
'Mena' is an upcoming thriller directed by Doug Liman and written by Gary Spinelli scheduled to be released on January 6, 2017. The film follows the life of former TWA pilot, Barry Seal, played by Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise. Seal later became a drug smuggler in the late 1980s and was soon recruited by the DEA to provide intelligence.
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