Source: Yahoo.com
"TIRANA (AFP) - A heavily armed Albanian military aircraft exploded after taking off from a civilian airport northeast of the capital Tirana, Transport Minister Spartak Poci said.

The aircraft, a MIG 19, exploded in the air around 9:00 am (0700 GMT) right after taking off from Rinas airport, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Tirana, on a training mission, Poci said.

The pilot was killed and rescuers were initially unable to approach the scene due to secondary explosions and a raging fire. It was not immediately clear what weapons the plane was carrying. Poci said engine failure was the cause of the accident. One aviation official said the plane was using a civilian airport because military air bases were under reconstruction.

"A civilian airport should not be used by military planes because it puts many lives in danger," he said."