6 Americans Among 14 Dead After Military Plane Crashes in Afghanistan
— -- Fourteen people -- including six Americans -- were killed when a U.S. Air Force C-130J transport aircraft crashed in eastern Afghanistan as it was approaching the airport in Jalalabad, officials said.
The Air Force said six U.S. service members and five civilian contractors were killed when the plane crashed at Jalalabad Airfield after midnight Friday local time. A defense official said there were at least an additional three Afghan locals who were killed on the ground as a result of the crash.
The nationalities of the contractors weren't immediately released.
Another official said there were no initial indications the aircraft crashed as the result of hostile fire.
Two U.S. officials said that the aircraft was on approach to the airport when it crashed.
The C-130 is a workhorse in Afghanistan serving as both a cargo and personnel transport capable of landing on short runways which allows it to touch down in remote areas.
There are still 9,800 American military troops serving in Afghanistan as part of a training mission that is set to conclude at the end of next year. Most of the American service members conduct their training at a small number of large bases located in Afghanistan, including Forward Operating Base Fenty which is located in Jalalabad and has served as a major operations hub for the past decade.
The C-130J is the most modern version of the storied transport aircraft and is equipped with some of the most sophisticated navigational equipment.
