Thread: C-17 goes down

C-17 crashes at Air Force base in Alaska

Plane was based at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska

By James Halpin and Lisa Demer
MCT
Thursday, July 29, 2010

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A C-17 cargo plane with four people on board crashed and burned on Elmendorf Air Force Base Wednesday evening, according to the Air Force.

Roger Herrera
AP
A plume of smoke is seen after a plane crashes on the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska.

Elmendorf officials have confirmed the aircraft, which is known as the most advanced cargo aircraft in the world, was on a “local training mission” when it crashed at 6:14 p.m. The conditions of the crew, assigned to Elmendorf’s 3rd Wing, are unknown, the Air Force said.

At a press conference Wednesday night, Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins said the C-17 was not an ejection aircraft and it was "likely nobody escaped."

He had no personal information on whether there were any deaths, he said, but told reporters, "It's likely there are fatalities involved in this mishap."

Access routes to the site, which was not on a runway, were closed after the 6:14 p.m. crash.

Initial reports indicated the plane had crashed into a wooded area about two miles north and east of the runway. The plane had apparently been headed east off Runway 5 and was banking left, to the north, when it went down.

“I was watching it do maneuvers, thinking it was practicing for the Air Show this weekend,” wrote one witness on base who asked to remain anonymous. He wrote, he then "saw it just drop out of the sky followed by a huge fireball. RIP fellow brothers.”

A black plume of smoke was visible rising from the base starting about 6:45 p.m.
Firefighters at the downtown Station 1 say they saw a ball of flames and a plume of black smoke rise from base. They were called for an agency assist to a report of a plane crash but then were called off the summons moments later as they got out on the street, according to firefighters.

More: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2...e-base-alaska/