BANDUNG, Indonesia, April 6, 2009

Indonesian Aircraft Crashes In Fireball

Military Plane Carrying 24 People Crashed In Rainy Weather, Cause Still Unclear

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(AP)  An Indonesian military aircraft carrying trainees crashed into an airport hangar in a giant fireball, an air force spokesman said, and all 24 people onboard were feared dead.

It was not clear what caused the Fokker 27 to go down in rainy weather outside the city of Bandung. Witnesses told the Antara state news agency the aircraft appeared to be shaking before diving to the ground.

Air force spokesman Bambang Sulistyo said six crew, an instructor and 17 special forces trainees were on board.

Indonesia's military has an aging fleet of aircraft and accidents are not uncommon. The plane that went down Monday was said to be more than 30 years old.

A series of commercial airline crashes in recent years has killed more than 120 people in Indonesia.

© MMIX, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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