GRENOBLE, Nov 27 — The bodies of two pilots killed when their tourist plane crashed in the French Alps were recovered yesterday after intense searches in the mountains east of Chambery, the city's prosecutor said.

The two men, who have not yet been identified, had taken off from Dortmund in Germany on Friday, according to the Chambery prosecutor who is investigating the cause of the accident in the Savoie region of eastern France. 

The two-seater tourist plane was heading to the French city of Albertville and a search began Friday evening when it failed to land as scheduled. 

The wreckage was spotted on Mount Trelod in the Bauges mountains with an altitude of around 2,200 metres (7,200 feet).

"The aircraft had slammed into the eastern face of the summit during bad weather conditions,” the prosecutor said.

Rescuers on the ground brought down the bodies of the two victims yesterday.

An autopsy will be carried out Monday to determine if either of the pilots had fallen ill. — AFP