3rd LD Writethru: U.S. military aircraft crashes in U.S. state of Georgia, killing five

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. military plane on Wednesday crashed in southern state Georgia, killing all five people on board, according to the Georgia National Guards.

The incident, which involved a WC-130 Hercules airplane from the Air National Guard, took place just before noon local time near the city of Savannah, local firefighters said. The County deputy coroner previously said two people had died in the crash.

Local media quoted the Federal Aviation Administration as saying that the plane, carrying five, was bound for an air base in Arizona. It crashed shortly after taking off from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. Witnesses said as the plane crashed near a road, cars may have been crushed by the plane.

According to footages shot at the scene, plumes of heavy black smoke and flame can be seen coming out of the wreckage.

It is not immediately clear what caused the incident. The National Guard tweeted that it will look into the incident.

The C-130 Hercules is a military transport plane that first went into service in the 1950s. The WC-130 is a modification of the model that specializes in weather reconnaissance. Enditem