Update 3:15 EST: The Reuters has now confirmed that all seven people on board were killed
A civilian aircraft, believed to be a twin-engined jet has crashed and burst into flames as it was taking off from an airfield in eastern Massachusetts, reports NBC News . The accident took place as the plane attempted take off from the former Air force Base of Hanscom. The twin engine plane was reportedly on its way to Atlantic City in New Jersey. Witnesses say that the plane crash resulted in a huge fireball.
Currently, there is little information regarding the people who were aboard the aircraft involved in the Boston plane crash. According to the Eagle Tribune , the State Police officials have confirmed that the aircraft was completely engulfed in flames after the plane crash which occurred at 9:40 p.m. local time. According to Matthew Brelis, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates the air field, the condition of the people on board the crashed aircraft are unknown at this time. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people on board and their loved ones,” he added.
Initial investigation by The Federal Aviation Administration says that the aircraft involved in the plane crash was a Gulfstream IV and that it “apparently ran off Runway 11.” A brief statement by the FFA adds, “The aircraft was departing, it apparently caught fire.”
The Gulfstream IV is widely used as a private or business travel jet. At this time, there has been no confirmation about the casualties the plane crash has resulted in. An earlier report had said that there were seven people on board and that there are no survivors. This however is yet to be confirmed.
The plane crash was also witnessed by locals who posted about it on Twitter.
Reported plane crash at Hanscom Air Force Base pic.twitter.com/srqGxvYY6F
— Kevin Johnson (@k590) June 1, 2014
The Air Force Base at Hanscom has been witness to several other plane crashes in the past as well. A year ago, a flight that took off from there crashed in to rural New York killing all three people on board it. Back in 1962, the Air Force base witnessed another crash when a KC-135A Stratotanker crashed at the base while it was landing. That plane was travelling from the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and crashed after it clipped a few telephone poles as it landed. All three service personnel on board were killed.
We can only hope that the latest plane crash at Hanscom doesn’t turn out to be fatal for all the people on board the ill-fated aircraft.
[Image via WikiMedia Commons]
