Airmen Killed In Military Cargo Plane Crash Near Savannah

PORT WENTWORTH, GA — A cargo plane belonging to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard believed to be carrying at least nine people crashed near the Savannah-Hilton Head Airport early Wednesday afternoon. The plane, which was reportedly more than 60-years-old, was being flown to Arizona to be retired.

The crash sent huge plumes of black smoke and orange flames into the sky as rescue workers rushed to the scene.

The 165th Airlift Wing said in a statement that the aircraft, which crashed around 11:30 a.m., is a WC-130 Hercules that was performing a training mission at the time of the crash. At a press conference late Wednesday afternoon, military officials said the aircraft was a cargo plane but did not elaborate on the type of mission the plane was engaged in at the time.

Officials said at the press conference they could not confirm the number of people on board or those killed or injured except to say that airmen had been killed in the crash. Officials said more information would be released later.

A spokesperson for the Puerto Rico Air National Guard told CNN there were a total of nine people on board.

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello offered his condolences for those killed in the crash.

"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," President Donald Trump said in a tweet. "Please join me in thoughts and prayers for the victims, their families and the great men and women of the National Guard."

A board of officers will investigate the crash, the 165th Airlift Wing said. The names of those on board will be released after next-of-kin are notified.

A spokesman for the Puerto Rico Air National Guard told the AP that all those onboard had recently left the island for a mission on the U.S. mainland. Effingham County Sheriff's spokeswoman Gena Bilbo told the AP that, "to our knowledge, there are no survivors."

The Chatham County Emergency Management Agency said the crash happened at Crossgate Road and Highway 21. Highway 21 between Crossgate Road and Dean Forest Road will remain closed until further notice. Train tracks will also remain closed.

"It was horrible," Denver Goodwin, who works at a wrecker service down the street from the crash, told CNN. "The ground shook like a bomb was going off. All the people in the building started panicking. It was absolutely horrible."

Another witness, Michael Garrett, said he was walking to his truck when he saw the plane going down.

"It went all the way upside down on its back, all the way to the ground," Garrett told WSAV. "I was telling everyone in the parking lot: ‘Look! A plane is falling!’ And everyone was looking at me like I was crazy.”

Savannah-Hilton Head Airport said the crash was off their property. Some flights were impacted by the crash.

Port Wentworth is located about 20 minutes east of Savannah.

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 in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria, the base announced at the time.

The C-130 comes in many variations but was originally designed to transport troops and cargo. Some models hold up to 90 troops or so along with large cargo that is taken on an off the plane via a large ramp that opens on its belly.

The U.S. military has put more than 2,500 C-130s in the air since the 1950s, and they're now widely used in militaries around the world.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Patch will update this report.

Photo via Savannah Firefighters Association