Five dead after military cargo plane crashes in Georgia

 May 4, 2018

Five dead after military cargo plane crashes into highway intersection near Georgia airport during a training mission

  • The C-130 Hercules crashed near Savannah at around 11.30am on Wednesday with five people on board 
  • All of the victims were believed to have been on the plane and no one on the ground was hit 
  • Authorities say it was a ‘miracle’ that no motorists were struck when the plane crashed at 11.30am
  • The aircraft came crashing into Georgia’s Highway 21 at a busy intersection around 15 miles from the airport
  • The plane was a four engine turboprop C-130 Hercules from the 156th Airlift Wing based in Puerto Rico
  • It was carrying out a training mission and was on its way to Tucson, Arizona, when it crashed  

A military cargo plane has crashed onto a busy highway intersection in Savannah, Georgia, killing five people onboard.

The C-130 Hercules cargo plane crashed Wednesday at the intersection of Highway 21 and Crossgate Road at 11.30am on Wednesday morning. 

It did not strike any cars on the road which, authorities say, is a ‘miracle’ given the time of day. 

The plane belongs to the 156th Airlift Wing which is based at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. 

The National Guard said at first there were five people onboard at the time. Local Georgia station WTOC cites sources who claimed there were nine people on the aircraft.

It was carrying out a training mission and was on its way to Tucson, Arizona, when it went down and the cause of the crash is not yet known.  

A National Guard cargo plane from Puerto Rico crashed in Savannah, Georgia, on Tuesday morning during a training mission, killing all five people on board

An Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane crashed Wednesday on the side of the road near an airport in Savannah, Georgia

‘While performing a training mission, an U.S. C-130 Hercules cargo plane from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard crashed about 11:30 a.m. today near the Savannah Hilton Head International Airport with 5 people on board,’ the National Guard said in a statement. 

‘Personnel are on the scene responding. A board of officers will investigate the accident.’ 

Later, Georgia’s National Guard spokesman confirmed the death toll. 

The plane crashed at the intersection of Georgia 21 and  Crossgate Road which is around 15 miles from Savannah Airport.  The crash has shut down electricity and trains in the area and is likely to impact airport travel. 

‘As far as we know there were no cars hit in this crash. It is an absolute miracle at that time of day and at this intersection,’ Chatham County coroner 

Huge plumes of black smoke billowed from the crash site on Wednesday morning 

The plane was from Air Lift 156 which is stationed at Muniz Air National Guard Base in Carolina, Puerto Rico

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. 

The 156th Airlift Wing in Puerto Rico is home to the Bucaneros- 1,200 National Guardsmen and women are bilingual. 

The C-130 is a four engine turboprop military transport plane with a payload of 45,000lbs. 

It is considerable in size at 92ft long and with a wingspan of 132ft.  

Smoke rises in the distant where an Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane crashed 

Emergency services rushed to the scene on Wednesday. It remains unclear how many were injured

The plane was a Lockheed C-130 Hercules which is a four-engine turboprop military plane with a wingspan of 132ft. It is 92ft long and has a payload of 45,000lbs (20.5 tonnes)

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