The Hercules C-130 took off from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport bound for retirement in Arizona.
But minutes after Pilot José Rafael Román Rosado lifted the hulking aircraft into the sky it d onto the highway, nose first.
Authorities on Thursday identified Román Rosado as among the nine crew members from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard who died in the crash. His wife was reportedly expecting their third child.
The other men aboard the plane include: Maj. Carlos Pérez Serra, 1st Lt. David Albandoz, Senior Master Sgt. Jan Paravisini, Master Sgt. Jean Audriffred, Master Sgt. Mario Braña, Master Sgt. Víctor Colón, Master Sgt. Eric Circuns and Senior Airman Roberto Espada.
“Taking care of our fallen airmen’s families and loved ones is our top priority,” Adjutant General of Puerto Rico, Brig. Gen. Isabelo Rivera, said in a statement. “We are fully supporting them and providing all the assistance and resources of the Puerto Rico National Guard during this difficult moment.”
At a news conference Thursday, officials said they were now focused on recovery efforts. The bodies of the airmen had not yet been found in the plane’s wreckage, Vice Commander Cpl. Peter Boone with the 165th Airlift Wing in Savannah said.
Few new details were released, but chief among them was that the plane was in Savannah for routine maintenance. Boone could not say if maintenance was a factor in the crash.
The flight was bound for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
“It’s extremely important for us to fully understand what has happened,” he said. “Any speculation without all of the details could affect the outcome of the investigation.”
It was not readily known if the pilot spoke with communications before the crash.
The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. at the intersection of Ga. 21 and Crossgate Road.
Initial reports indicated the plane was more than 60 years old, but Boone clarified that it was manufactured in the 1970s.
Its fuselage appeared to have struck the median, and pieces of its wings were scattered across lanes in both directions. The only part of the plane left intact was a tail section, investigators said.
“It’s a difficult moment for the Puerto Rican National Guard and, in particular, the families of those involved,” Dahlen said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all the family members of those involved. And we are going to do our best to make sure that we get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.”
No one on the ground was injured.
A spokeswoman for the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Gena Bilbo, said that “miraculously” the plane didn’t hit any cars or homes.
Memorials for the airmen have not been announced, but the mayor of Manatai, Puerto Rico, is honoring Román Rosado.
“In Honor will be the flags of our administration at half-mast in mourning for two days from today,” Mayor José Sánchez said in a Facebook post. “A lot of strength and our prayers and comfort for his whole family.”
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