Military plane crashes in California
HOUSTON
Broadcast reports showed thick black smoke and flames pouring
from the light-colored aircraft after it went down at 5:25 p.m. and
slid off a runway. The three on board escaped with minor injuries,
air station spokeswoman Terry Reid told KCAL-TV.
She said the tanker is used for fleet operations support and
transporting fuel.
A helicopter dumped several loads of water on the plane, with
little immediately discernible effect.
Firefighters on the ground appeared to be letting the fire burn
but were dousing the area around the tanker. The stricken plane
came to a rest within a few hundred feet of the Pacific Ocean,
though it was not clear if any fuel had gone into the ocean.
It's not known where the tanker was headed at the time of the
crash.
Point Mugu Naval Air Station is in Ventura County and about 40
miles northwest of Los Angeles.
