LONDON, Jan 30 (AFP) - A British C-130 Hercules transport plane crashed northwest of Baghdad Sunday, military officers said without saying whether there were casualties.
The British defense ministry said in London said it was investigating the crash of the four-turboprop plane which occurred at 5:25 pm (1425 GMT).
In Baghdad, meanwhile, a Multinational Division officer said on condition of anonymity that a "a C-130 Hercules transport plane went down northwest of Baghdad and was on its way to Balad."
US military choppers had arrived at the site of crash and were investigating the incident.
According to the Royal Air Force website, the Hercules is used primarily to carry troops, passengers and freight.
The maximum payload is 20 tonnes or 45,000 pounds which can be carried over 2,000 miles.
It said the Lockheed C-130 Hercules is the most numerous transport aircraft in the west and has been in production longer than any other aircraft in history.
The prototype flew in August 1954 and since then over 60 nations have ordered the Hercules.
Those in use by the RAF are C-130K versions -- known as Hercules C1 and C3 -- and initial deliveries (of a total of 66 ordered) were made during the mid-1960s.
The RAF site said many are destined to remain in service for some years to come, although about half of the fleet have been replaced by the updated C-130J -- Hercules C4 and C5.
The site said the aircraft carries a crew of five or six and up to 92 or 128 troops, 64 paratroops, or 74 stretchers.
01/30/2005 15:30 GMT - AFP