Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

A7
U.S. NEWS Thursday 3 May 2018

9 Puerto Ricans killed in final flight of 60-year-old C-130

By RUSS BYNUM
PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (AP)
— A crew of nine Puerto
Ricans were 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, nar-
rowly missing people on
the ground and sending an
orange and black fireball
into the sky.
"It miraculously did not hit
any cars, any homes," Ef-
fingham County Sheriff's
spokeswoman Gena Bilbo
said. "This is a very busy
roadway."
Eight hours after the crash,
she added: "To our knowl-
edge there are no survi-
vors."
The huge plane's fuselage
appeared to have struck
the median, and pieces of
its wings, which spanned Flames and smoke rise from an Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane after it crashed near Savannah, Ga., Wednesday, May 2,
132 feet (40 meters), were 2018.
scattered across lanes in Associated Press
both directions. The debris
field stretched 600 feet Rico after Hurricane Maria April. News that he saw the plane that far from it and I could
(183 meters) in diameter, last year. All nine crew members hit the road right in front of have just kept going and it
Bilbo said. The only part still "The planes that we have had helped with hurricane him, about a mile (less than would have been me and
intact was the tail section, in Puerto Rico -- it's not recovery efforts as part of two kilometers) from the we wouldn't be talking right
said Chris Hanks, a spokes- news today that they are the 198th Fighter Squadron, airport. now," Jones said.
man for the Savannah Pro- the oldest planes on inven- nicknamed the Bucaneros, "It didn't look like it nose- The U.S. territory's Gov. Ri-
fessional Firefighters Associ- tory" of all National Guard which flies out of Base Mu- dived, but it almost looked cardo Rossello expressed
ation. The plane was more planes nationwide, Rivera niz in the northern coastal like it stalled and just went his sadness, tweeting that
than 60 years old, said said. Puerto Rico's National city of Carolina, Rivera said. almost flat right there in the "our prayers are with the
Isabelo Rivera, Adjutant Guard has five other similar "This pains us," Rivera said of middle of the highway," families of the Puerto Rican
General of Puerto Rico's planes, two of which need the deaths. They aren't re- Jones said, describing how crew." President Donald
National Guard. Belonging maintenance and aren't leasing names until all the people stopped and got Trump tweeted that he had
to the 156th Air Wing, it was being used, he said. families have been con- out of their cars following been briefed on the crash,
used to rescue U.S. citizens It's too early to say what tacted, but "most of them the explosion. and sent "thoughts and
stranded in the British Virgin might have caused the ac- already know and have "I'm still shook up and shak- prayers for the victims, their
Islands following Hurricane cident, he said. The plane come to the base." ing. My stomach is in knots families and the great men
Irma and ferry supplies to last received maintenance Motorist Mark Jones told because I know they're and women of the Nation-
the U.S. territory of Puerto at the base in Savannah in the Savannah Morning people just like me. I wasn't al Guard."q