Nine Believed Dead in US Military Plane Crash

[cal04]

A US military aircraft crashed in central Albania while on a training mission Thursday, and all nine people aboard were believed to have been killed, the Defence Ministry said.

The plane had taken off from Tirana’s Mother Teresa Airport and crashed in the district of Gramsh, 48 miles southeast of capital, Tirana, Defence Ministry spokesman Agim Doci told The Associated Press.

Doci said it was believed nine people were aboard the plane, which was taking part in joint exercises with the Albanian military.The Albanian News24 television station reported that the location of the crash was remote and hard to reach, adding that a helicopter was seen circling the area.

Residents said an explosion caused by the crashing plane felt “like an earthquake,” the station said.US and NATO officials in Tirana were not immediately available for comment.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4336582

[merh]

1. Got to wonder who was on it.

:shrug:

God rest their souls!

[salin]

2. RIP

must be a terrifying way to go.

[JNelson6563]

3. Tragic

Very sorry to hear of this. :cry:

Julie

[bemildred]

4. Ten marines dead in Colombia a week ago.

The empire is expensive in many ways.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=122&art_id=qw1111639681810B245

[UpInArms]

5. update: Nine bodies recovered from wreckage of U.S. military plane

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=32646

TIRANA, Albania (AP) -- Nine Americans have been killed in the crash of a U.S. military plane in Albania.

The C-130 crashed last night about 60 miles southeast of the capital in a mountainous area.

An Albanian military official says the Americans were taking part in a joint exercise with Albanian forces. The weather was very bad at the time.

...very short newsblurb...

[tuckessee]

6. "Joint exercises with the Albanian military....." ????

Why is the US doing joint miltary exercises with the Albanians?

Is it because the Lichtensteinian armed forces were busy this week and there was no one else to play with?