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Five people died after a military plane crashed down on GA-21 at Gulfstream Road in Port Wentworth, Georgia, at about 11:30 A.M. Wednesday morning, according to a report from FOX 9. Emergency crews are responding to the scene, rushing to the area engulfed with plumes of black smoke and hot orange flames. The names of the victims have not been released. However, it is known that the five victims were members of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. No survivors were reported in the crash.
Update (2:08 P.M.): The Associated Press reports that five people were killed in the crash. Initial reports suggested that two people died in the plane crash. Now, the AP is reporting five fatalities relating to the crash in Port Wentworth, Georgia.
Witnesses saw the plane go down just before noon on Wednesday morning (estimated to be 11:28 A.M. EST). The Chatham County Emergency Management Agency reported that the plane went down on Crossgate Road and Highway 21. The plane, which crashed down near Savannah, is a C-130 Hercules military airplane from the Air National Guard, according to a CNN report. The type of plane which crashed was confirmed by the U.S. Air Force to be a C-130 Hercules military plane.
Highway 21 is currently shut down, according to The Georgia Department of Transportation.
“It was horrible,” Denver Goodwin, a wrecker service who works down the street from the crash, said to CNN that,”The ground shook like a bomb was going off. All the people in the building started panicking. It was absolutely horrible.”
#BREAKING 2nd alarm off Staley ave, as well as a c130 airplane crash @21 and Gulfstream rd. Avoid the area. #Savannah
— IAFF574 Savannah (@IAFF574) May 2, 2018
According to The Federal Aviation Administration, the plane was headed to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
Following the crash, the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System sent a message to parents, informing them that power, phone, and network services had been shut down at both Port Wentworth Elementary and Rice Creek School as a result of the crash.
Savannah-Hilton Airport said that the plane didn’t crash on their property. However, some flights were still impacted by the crash, according to airport officials. Individuals should check with their airline before they depart from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.
.@fly_SAV says some flights are being impacted by C130 crash. You need to check with your airline. Check flight status here https://t.co/rmk6BrQzsj
— Amanda LaBrot (@AmandaLaBrot) May 2, 2018
Look below to see a photo of the plane crash. Black smoke engulfs the sky surrounding the crash.
Military c130 down at 21 and Gulfstream Rd. Avoid the area. 21 shut down until further notice. pic.twitter.com/6hUqwmkNUu
— IAFF574 Savannah (@IAFF574) May 2, 2018
Gulfstream released the following statement regarding the crash:
“Employees can access the main entrance from Airways Avenue by showing their Gulfstream or FlightSafety ID to officers responding to the military aircraft crash. Second-shift G650 employees should park in the North lot and walk across the ramp. To leave the East lot, turn left on Robert B. Miller Road and left on Gulfstream Road. Traffic leaving the West and North lots can only turn left on Gulfstream Road.”
The Georgia Port Authority also released a statement following the crash in Port Wentworth:
“Following the crash of a C-130 military aircraft, the Georgia Department of Transportation instituted a road closure and detour on Georgia State Route 21 between Crossgate Road and Piedmont Avenue. Motorists traveling north on SR 21 are being detoured onto SR 307 North, then west on the Jimmy Deloach Connector to the Sonny Dixon Interchange back to SR 21, where the detour ends. Motorists traveling south on SR 21 are being detoured onto Sonny Dixon Interchange to Jimmy Deloach Connector, then east to SR 307 South back to SR 21, where the detour ends. Truck gates at Garden City Terminal have not been affected. Gates will remain open until the regular time of 6 p.m. Norfolk Southern remains able to move rail cargo from Atlanta to its Dillard Yard in Savannah, however NS is delayed from bringing trains to Garden City Terminal. Rail cargo moving over CSX Transportation’s lines has not been affected. The Georgia Ports Authority wishes to extend its deepest sympathies to the families of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard members who lost their lives in the crash.”
The U.S. military reportedly planned to conduct a press briefing relating to the crash at around 3 P.M. Wednesday afternoon, according to WTOC11.
Where Did The Crash Happen?
The plane crashed down at GA-21 at Gulfstream Road in Port Wentworth, Georgia.
Google Maps
What Is A C-130 Hercules Military Plane?
This aircraft comes in many forms and variations. It’s intended purpose is to transport troops and cargo. Some models are capable of holding 90 troops along with large cargo. A large ramps opens up at the belly of the plane, which takes cargo on and off the aircraft.
Since the 1950s, the U.S. military has put more than 2,500 C-130s up into the air. This aircraft is now used by many different militaries all over the world.