United States Northern Command public affairs says  a C-130 airplane crashed Sunday night in southwestern South Dakota where it was assigned as an airborne tanker fighting a wildfire there.

The plane equipped with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, otherwise know as MAFFS,  was fighting the White Draw Fire near Edgemont, S.D.  at the time of the crash. The Plane belonged to the North Carolina Guard's 145th Airlift Wing based at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

There were casualties. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and the incident is under investigation. As a prudent measure, the MAFFS equipped C-130's are on an operational hold at the present time.

 

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