Officials: Military Plane Crash in Georgia Leaves at Least Two Dead

A military plane carrying at least five passengers crashed in Georgia on Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead, officials said.

Chatham County Deputy Coroner told the Associated Press the two people died when a Puerto Rico National Guard plane crashed shortly after taking off from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport at 11:30 a.m.

The plane was headed to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona when it crashed near Highway 21 and Crossgate Road, Air Force officials told Fox News.

The Chatham Emergency Management Agency sent out a tweet warning drivers to “avoid the area.”

There has been a plane crash at the intersection of Hwy 21 at Crossgate Rd. Roads will be shut down. Please avoid the area.

— Chatham EMA (@ChathamEMA) May 2, 2018

“There has been a plane crash at the intersection of Hwy 21 at Crossgate Rd. Roads will be shut down. Please avoid the area,” Chatham EMA tweeted.

Photos of the crash taken on the ground showed thick clouds of black smoke filling the sky and showed a part of the plane engulfed in flames.

Authorities are still investigating what caused the crash.

Savannah/Hilton Head Airport tweeted that some flights might be affected by the crash, urging passengers to check their flight status with their airlines before going through security.

Some flights are beginning to be impacted due to an aircraft incident off property. Customers should check with their airline prior to clearing security.

— SAV Airport (@fly_SAV) May 2, 2018

The plane, a C-130 Hercules, is designed to carry three to five people and is used by the Air Force and Air National Guard to transport equipment and troops through combat zones.