Monday, May 7, 2018

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Moments after a military cargo plane crashed into a Georgia highway, rattled motorists began dialing 911 to report the large aircraft plunged nose-first into the blacktop before erupting into flames and thick smoke.

"It just fell out of the sky and it's on fire right now," said one woman who called emergency operators as soon as the plane went down at about 11:27 a.m. Wednesday.

Savannah police released 911 recordings from the crash Monday, five days after the C-130 Hercules cargo plane plummeted down onto Georgia Highway 21. It crashed shortly after taking off from the Savannah airport. Nine airmen from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard perished, but no one else was injured on the ground.

One 911 caller reported something seemed to be wrong with one of the plane's four engines.

"I saw it take off from the airport and I noticed that one of the propellers wasn't turning," the woman told a 911 operator. "And he banked like he was going toward (Interstate) 95, and then all of a sudden he lost altitude and just took a nose dive into the ground."

The military is investigating. So far, investigators have released no preliminary findings to suggest what caused the crash.

An Air Force spokesman, Maj. Andrew Reed, declined to comment Monday on any details from the 911 calls, citing the active investigation.

Other witnesses gave similar eyewitness accounts.

"It just literally nose-dived into the road," said one 911 caller.

"He did a barrel roll and went straight into the ground," said another.

A woman who described black smoke bellowing from the crash tried to get a closer look so she could give emergency dispatchers a better idea of exactly where the plane hit.

"I'm coming up on it," the woman says. "It's right off the railroad track. Oh my God, it's on Highway 21... It's across both lanes of road."

"Is it on fire or anything like that?" the operator asks.

"Yes, baby, it's black smoke," the caller replies. "The plane like incinerated whenever it hit the concrete."

Only the tail section of the plane remained intact following the crash. Authorities said the impact scattered debris over an area roughly 600 feet (183 meters) in diameter.

"I've got flames and smoke everywhere and stuff coming out of the sky," one man told a 911 operator.

The aging plane had long been a part of Puerto Rico's Air National Guard fleet and had rescued and resupplied U.S. citizens after last year's hurricanes. It crashed during what was supposed to be its final flight.

The plane was being flown into retirement in Arizona when it took off from Savannah/ Hilton Head International Airport last week. Maj. Paul Dahlen of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard said the aircraft had been manufactured in 1970s, making it roughly 40 years old.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — In a story May 2 about the crash of a military cargo plane, The Associated Press erroneously reported the age of the plane based on information from Puerto Rico's National Guard. The plane was about 40 years old, not more than 60 years old.

A corrected version of the story is below:

The Latest: Official: 'To our knowledge ... no survivors'

A sheriff's official says to her knowledge there are no survivors after a cargo plane carrying nine members of the Puerto Rican Air National Guard crashed on a Georgia highway

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The Latest on a military cargo plane crash in Georgia (all times local):

7:30 p.m.

Authorities say that to their knowledge there are no survivors after a cargo plane carrying nine members of the Puerto Rican Air National Guard crashed on a highway in Georgia.

The crew was flying the C-130 into retirement Wednesday when it plunged onto a highway on the outskirts of Savannah, Georgia.

A sheriff's spokeswoman, Gena Bilbo, for Georgia's Effingham County says that "miraculously" the plane didn't hit any cars or homes. Bilbo told The Associated Press, "To our knowledge, there are no survivors."

The huge plane's fuselage appeared to have struck the median, and pieces of its wings were scattered across lanes in both directions.

Authorities say the only part of the plane left intact was a tail section.

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6:45 p.m.

Isabelo Rivera, adjutant general of the Puerto Rico National Guard, says the cargo plane that crashed in Georgia was making its final flight into retirement in Arizona.

He says the C-130 plane had been used in the past to rescue U.S. citizens stranded in the British Virgin Islands following Hurricane Irma and ferry supplies to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria last year.

He told a news conference Wednesday in Puerto Rico that the island Guard force has five other similar planes, two of which are not in use because they require maintenance.

Authorities say it's too early to say what might have caused Wednesday's crash on a highway on the outskirts of Savannah, Georgia. The plane was about 40 years old.

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6:35 p.m.

Military officials say the C130 and its variants historically have good safety records and a crash is considered a rare occurrence.

The most recent accident before Wednesday's deadly crash in Georgia happened July 10 when a Marine Corps KC130T transport plane crashed in Mississippi, killing 15 Marines and a Navy sailor when it slammed into a soybean field near Itta Bena. Officials have yet to release any reports that say why that plane crashed. It took more than two weeks for the military to collect pieces of the plane from a debris field stretching for several miles (kilometers).

The Navy classifies its most serious incidents as Class A mishaps, involving death, permanent disability or more than $2 million in damage.

Records show only two in-flight Class A mishaps were recorded before the Mississippi crash, both in 2002. A KC-130R experienced a flash fire and crashed into a mountain in Pakistan while nearing an airfield, killing seven people. A KC130F crash-landed shortly after taking off in California, causing injuries but no deaths.

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6:15 p.m.

Puerto Rican authorities say there were nine people aboard the cargo plane that crashed outside the Savannah, Georgia, airport. A local official says there were apparently no survivors.

The Air Force says the Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane belonged to the 156th Air Wing out of Puerto Rico. The top official of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, Adjutant Gen. Isabelo Rivera, says nine were confirmed aboard.

A local official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, says there are no apparent survivors. The official spoke on condition of not being identified, saying he wasn't authorized to release the death toll.

---

Associated Press writer Russ Bynum contributed to this report.

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4:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he is sending his thoughts and prayers to the victims of a military cargo plane crash in Georgia that killed at least five National Guard members from Puerto Rico.

Trump tweeted Wednesday: "I have been briefed on the U.S. C-130 'Hercules' cargo plane from the Puerto Rico National Guard that crashed near Savannah Hilton Head International Airport. Please join me in thoughts and prayers for the victims, their families and the great men and women of the National Guard."

The Air National Guard C-130 plane crashed earlier Wednesday onto a busy highway after taking off from the airport.

Senior Master Sgt. Roger Parsons of the Georgia Air National Guard says the cause of the crash isn't yet clear.

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4:10 p.m.

Denise Barnes was at her desk working at a construction firm when she heard a boom so loud it shook the building.

She says workers initially thought something had exploded out back of their building but adds, "we saw black smoke just billowing with flames shooting up."

A co-worker told Barnes he had seen something fall from the sky. Barnes frantically called 911.

An Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane crashed Wednesday onto a busy highway after taking off from an airport. At least five National Guard members from Puerto Rico were killed.

Barnes says the crash was hundreds of yards (meters) from her but flames were so intense "you could feel a little bit of heat coming off of it."

Mark Jones was nearby when he says he saw the plane low in the air.

He says "it almost looked like it stalled and just went almost flat right there in the middle of the highway."

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3:50 p.m.

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello and the top official in the Puerto Rico National Guard are expressing their sorrow following the crash of an Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane in Georgia.

Rossello and Adjutant Gen. Isabelo Rivera said Wednesday afternoon that their prayers are with the families of those who were on the plane. They say they are awaiting more information about the deadly crash and have pledged their full support to the families of the crew and passengers.

The plane crashed about 11:30 a.m. shortly after taking off from Savannah, Georgia. The plane was bound for Arizona.

The governor's statement says the names of the victims are being withheld pending notification of their families.

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3:35 p.m.

A spokesman for the Georgia Air National Guard says authorities don't yet know what caused a military cargo plane to crash after taking off from a Savannah, Georgia, airport, killing at least five.

Senior Master Sgt. Roger Parsons told reporters authorities are still working to make the crash site safe for investigators to come in.

The C-130 cargo plane belonged to the 156th Air Wing out of Puerto Rico. It crashed around 11:30 a.m. near the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

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2:20 p.m.

A spokesman for the Puerto Rico National Guard says the military cargo plane that crashed outside Savannah, Georgia, was on its way to Arizona.

At least five people were killed in the Wednesday crash. Maj. Paul Dahlen says it's a sad day for Puerto Rico's National Guard.

The C-130 cargo plane crashed around 11:30 a.m. near the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

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1:15 p.m.

Chatham County Deputy Coroner Tiffany Williams says police tell her two people have been killed in the crash of a military cargo plane near an airport in Savannah, Georgia.

Williams said she didn't have any other details on the deaths Wednesday.

The Air Force says the plane was an Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane belonged to the 156th Air Wing out of Puerto Rico. The 165th Air Wing out of Savannah was responding to the crash.

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12:25 p.m.

The Air Force says an Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane has crashed near an airport in Savannah, Georgia.

In a tweet, the Chatham County Emergency Management Agency says the plane crashed Wednesday at the intersection of two roads.

There was no immediate word of injuries.

A photo tweeted by the Savannah Professional Firefighters Association shows the tail end of a plane and a field of flames and black smoke along the side of a road as an ambulance stands nearby.

2:43 p.m.

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. -- According to NBC affiliate in Atlanta, 11 Alive, the Puerto Rican National Guard has released all the names of the airmen killed in a cargo plane crash Wednesday.

Maj. Carlos Pérez Serra from Canóvanas, PR was the navigator of the flight and had 23 years of service. He is survived by his wife, two sons and daughter.

1st Lt. David Albandoz was the co-pilot. He had 16 years of service and is survived by his wife and daughter. Lt. Albandoz is from PR and was most recently residing in Madison, Alabama.

Senior Master Sgt. Jan Paravisini from Canóvanas, PR was the mechanic. He had 21 years of service and is survived by two daughters and son.

Master Sgt. Jean Audriffred from Carolina, PR had 16 years of service . He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Master Sgt. Mario Braña from Bayamón, PR was the Flight Engineer. He had 17 years of service and is survived by his mother and daughter.

Master Sgt. Víctor Colón from Santa Isabel, PR had 22 years of service. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Master Sgt. Eric Circuns from Rio Grande, PR was the loadmaster. He had 31 years of service and is survived by his wife, two step-daughters and son.

Senior Airman Roberto Espada from Salinas, PR had three years of service. He is survived by his grandmother.

2:00 p.m.

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- The mayor of the Puerto Rican city of Manati posted his condolences to the families of the crash victims on his Facebook page.

Mayor Jose Sanchez identified the pilot as 43-year-old Maj. Jose Rafael Roman Rosado. told Sanchez told the Associated Press that Roman had two sons and his wife is five months pregnant with a girl.

Mayor Sanchez goes on to say flags will be at half-staff in mourning for two days.

In a translated statement, Sanchez said "a lot of strength and our prayers and comfort for his whole family."

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (AP) - The U.S. military has launched its investigation into the crash of a C-130 cargo plane that killed nine Puerto Rican airmen after takeoff in Georgia.

Col. Pete Boone of the Georgia Air National Guard told reporters Thursday that investigators will "use every resource at our disposal to identify a cause."

Boone said the military has also confirmed all nine airmen on board died when the large aircraft plunged onto a highway near Savannah, causing a large fireball and explosion. He said families of the dead are being notified.

Boone said the plane was in Savannah for "routine maintenance" and crashed after taking off for Arizona.

Officials with the Puerto Rico Air National Guard have said the aircraft was 60 years old, but Boone said its age was closer to 40

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (AP) — A crew of nine Air Men was flying an Air National Guard C-130 into retirement in Arizona when it crashed onto a highway in Georgia on Wednesday, and authorities said there are no survivors.

The plane crashed onto state highway 21 moments after taking off from the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, narrowly missing people on the ground and sending an orange and black fireball into the sky.

"It miraculously did not hit any cars, any homes," Effingham County Sheriff's spokeswoman Gena Bilbo said. "This is a very busy roadway."

Eight hours after the crash, she added: "To our knowledge, there are no survivors."

The huge plane's fuselage appeared to have struck the median, and pieces of its wings, which spanned 132 feet (40 meters), were scattered across lanes in both directions. The debris field stretched 600 feet (183 meters) in diameter, Bilbo said. The only part still intact was the tail section, said Chris Hanks, a spokesman for the Savannah Professional Firefighters Association.

The plane was more than 60 years old, said Isabelo Rivera, Adjutant General of Puerto Rico's National Guard. Belonging to the 156th Air Wing, it was used to rescue U.S. citizens stranded in the British Virgin Islands following Hurricane Irma and ferry supplies to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria last year.

"The planes that we have in Puerto Rico -- it's not news today that they are the oldest planes on inventory" of all National Guard planes nationwide, Rivera said. Puerto Rico's National Guard has five other similar planes, two of which need maintenance and aren't being used, he said.

It's too early to say what might have caused the accident, he said. The plane last received maintenance at the base in Savannah in April.

All nine crew members had helped with hurricane recovery efforts as part of the 198th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the Bucaneros, which flies out of Base Muniz in the northern coastal city of Carolina, Rivera said.

"This pains us," Rivera said of the deaths. They aren't releasing names until all the families have been contacted, but "most of them already know and have come to the base."

Motorist Mark Jones told the Savannah Morning News that he saw the plane hit the road right in front of him, about a mile (less than two kilometers) from the airport.

"It didn't look like it nosedived, but it almost looked like it stalled and just went almost flat right there in the middle of the highway," Jones said, describing how people stopped and got out of their cars following the explosion.

"I'm still shook up and shaking. My stomach is in knots because I know they're people just like me. I wasn't that far from it and I could have just kept going and it would have been me and we wouldn't be talking right now," Jones said.

The U.S. territory's Gov. Ricardo Rossello expressed his sadness, tweeting that "our prayers are with the families of the Puerto Rican crew."

President Donald Trump tweeted that he had been briefed on the crash, and sent "thoughts and prayers for the victims, their families and the great men and women of the National Guard."

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — JUST IN: Georgia Air National Guard official says at least five dead in crash of Puerto Rican Air National Guard cargo plane.

Capt. Jeff Bezore of the Georgia Air National Guard's 165th Air Wing said he couldn't say how many people in total were on the plane that crashed Wednesday around 11:30 a.m.

The Air Force says the plane was an Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane belonged to the 156th Air Wing out of Puerto Rico.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — An Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane crashed Wednesday near the airport for Savannah, Georgia, killing two, authorities said.

Chatham County Deputy Coroner Tiffany Williams says police tell her two people have been killed in the crash. Williams said she didn't have any other details on the deaths.

The plane crashed at the intersection of two roads, the Chatham County Emergency Management Agency said in a tweet.

A photo tweeted by the Savannah Professional Firefighters Association shows the tail end of a plane and a field of flames and black smoke as an ambulance stands nearby.

The only part of the plane that remained intact was the tail section, said Chris Hanks, the assistant public information officer with the Savannah Professional Firefighters Association. The tail section was sitting on Highway 21 and the ground in front of it was black and littered with debris, he said.

Firefighters had put out the blaze but were still using a mixture of water and foam to take care of any remaining hot spots.

The Savannah Air National Guard says the plane was doing a training mission when it crashed around 11:30 a.m. near the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. The unit said in a statement that there were five people on board the plane from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.

The Air Force said the plane belonged to the 156th Air Wing out of Puerto Rico. The 165th Air Wing out of Savannah was responding to the crash.

Savannah's Air National Guard base has been heavily involved in hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. In September 2017, it was designated by the Air National Guard as the hub of operations to the island nation in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria, the based announced at the time.

Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport said on social media that some flights were being affected though the crash happened off its property. The airport advised passengers to check with their airline for updated flight information.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- According to the Savannah Professional Firefighters Association, a military c130 plane has crashed near Savannah.

It happened near Gulfstream Road, and crews are asking people to avoid the area.

We are working to find out more. Check back for updates on this developing story.