Register for E-mail alerts. Comment on articles. Sign up today, it's easy.
Close
The Washington Times Online Edition

4 killed in plane crash at Alaska military base

A plume of smoke is seen after a plane crashes on the Elmendorf Air Force in Anchorage, Alaska, Weds., July 28, 2010. The Alaska National Guard says a military cargo plane has crashed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. Alaska National Guard spokesman Maj. Guy Hayes confirmed the Wednesday evening crash of a C-17. (AP Photo/Roger Herrera)
A plume of smoke is seen after a plane crashes on the Elmendorf Air Force in Anchorage, Alaska, Weds., July 28, 2010. The Alaska National Guard says a military cargo plane has crashed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. Alaska National Guard spokesman Maj. Guy Hayes confirmed the Wednesday evening crash of a C-17. (AP Photo/Roger Herrera)

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AP) — The deadly crash of a military cargo plane on a training mission occurred just about a minute after it took off from a runway at an Alaska base, officials said Thursday.

Three of the men killed in the Wednesday evening accident were in the Alaska Air National Guard, and the fourth was on active duty at Elmendorf, Air ForceCol. Jack McMullen said Thursday.

Their names have not been released pending notification of relatives.

“It’s a sad day,” Col. McMullen said. “My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those that have lost spouses, sons.”

The C-17 was part of the 3rd Wing, based at Elmendorf in Anchorage. The crash sent a fireball hundreds of feet into the air when it occurred about 6:14 p.m. during a training demonstration for a weekend air show, Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins said.

“About a minute after takeoff is when I got the call that we had a mishap,” Col. McMullen said.

Few other details were known, he said.

Anchorage Fire Dept. Captain Bryan Grella said his crew was just finishing dinner at the downtown fire station when something caught his eye.

“It was a big, gray plume of smoke, and I saw a fireball go up in it,” he said. The fireball extended about 750 feet in the air, he estimated.

The crash site has been secured, and a military investigative team is scheduled to arrive within 24 hours to try to determine the cause of the crash.

Col. McMullen said a decision was likely Thursday on whether the show will go on as planned.

The crash was the second in Anchorage this summer. In June, a child was killed and four other people were burned when a small plane crashed after taking off from the city’s small-airplane airport downtown.

Days later, a small plane landed on a busy highway in Anchorage. There were no injuries.

Gov. Sean Parnell and the three members of the state’s congressional delegation issued statements late Wednesday expressing sadness over the crash.

“This is a tragedy in every sense of the word,” Rep. Don Young said in a statement.

Story Continues →

View Entire Story

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus
You Might Also Like
  • Republican presidential candidate and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum greets supporters Feb. 7, 2012, after speaking at a primary night watch party in St. Charles, Mo. (Associated Press)

    Santorum sweep: Wins Missouri, Minnesota, Colorado

    By Valerie Richardson and Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection uses qualified pilots to operate Predator drones for surveillance along the border. Under the FAA Reauthorization Act, drones eventually could be used by police agencies and private companies across the U.S. (Associated Press)

    Drones over U.S. get OK by Congress

    By Shaun Waterman - The Washington Times

  • Supporters of gay marriage celebrate outside the James R. Browning United States Courthouse in San Francisco on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, after a federal appeals court declared California's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. (AP Photo/San Francisco Chronicle, Lea Suzuki)

    Appeals court rules Calif. gay-marriage ban unconstitutional

    By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

  • In Case You Missed It
    Talk of the Web
    Happening Now