Marine Corps cargo aircraft crashes in Mississippi killing several crew, reports say

A Marine Corps cargo plane often used for hauling fuel and supplies crashed in western Mississippi Monday night, killing several crew members aboard, local news reports said.

In a brief statement, the Marines said that a 'KC-130 experienced a mishap the evening of July 10.” No other information was provided.

In an email, Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns confirmed that the statement correlated to the crash in Mississippi.

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Lee Smithson told the Clarion-Ledger that the aircraft crashed on the Leflore-Sunflower county line, a rural stretch of woods and fields with dense underbrush and vegetation. Five of the nine crew members were confirmed dead, Sheriff Ricky Banks told the Ledger. It is unclear where the plane took off from.

Pictures posted to Facebook and published by the Ledger showed thick black smoke coming from a field. The debris field appears to span a large area.

The KC-130 is a four-engine propeller-driven aircraft that is a variant of the Cold War-era C-130 Hercules. The plane can be configured to refuel aircraft in midair or equipment on the ground. It can also haul troops and equipment and in some cases carry an array of weapons.