US military plane crashes at base

A number of people were injured but there were no fatalities, a spokesman for the Dover Air Force base said.

The C-5 plane developed problems on take-off as it headed for the Ramstein base in Germany, the Pentagon said.

TV pictures showed the C-5, the US military's largest plane, with its cockpit and tail separated from the fuselage and a wing shattered.

Walking wounded

The crash occurred at about 0645 local time (1045 GMT). No major weather hazards were reported.

A spokeswoman for a local health facility, BayHealth, said it had received 10 people from the crash, some of them walking wounded. There were no exact details on the conditions of the injured.

A spokesman for the base said an Air Force board would investigate the crash.

Dover operates the largest freight terminal of the defence department and has more than 4,000 military and civilian employees.

It also receives the bodies of the nation's war dead.

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy first came into operation in the US military in 1970 and can fly non-stop for 2,500 miles (4,000km) carrying a load.

C-5 GALAXY

• Crew: Seven
• Main weapons: None - transport aircraft
• Max speed: 518mph
• Length: 247ft (75m)
• Wingspan: 223ft (68m)
• Weight (max take-off): 840,000 lbs (381,000kg)
• Range: 7,270 miles (11,700km) (empty)

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Dover Air Force base
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