Philippine Air Force Lockheed C-130H Hercules cargo plane carrying 122 catches fire during takeoff at Clark Air Base
A Lockheed C-130 “Hercules” cargo plane of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) caught fire while about to take off from Clark Air Base, Angeles City, Pampanga Wednesday morning.
Maj. Aristides Galang, PAF spokesperson, said the fire occurred at 7:10 a.m. while the plane was on the holding point of the base’s runway.
Upon seeing the flames, the flight crew immediately alerted firefighters at 7:13 a.m. who then extinguished it around 7: 36 a.m. No one was reported hurt.
A video showing the left wing of the aircraft on fire circulated on social media.
The plane, with tail number 4726, was supposed to transport students from the National Defense College of the Philippines to Palawan then to Pagasa Island.
The postponed trip is part of the curriculum of the students taking up Masters Degree in National Security Administration.
Galang did not give specifics on the exact cause of the fire and damages on the C-130 pending results of the investigation.
