British C-130 shot down. 10 feared dead

[A Can of Man]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/31/iraq.britishplane.1157/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/31/iraq.britishplane/index.html
This 2nd one is about the video footage on the crash

Hmmmm... I don't know. A little early but I'm sure the militants want to make believe they had a hand in everything down to food poisoning.
Very unfortunate incident though. But the Iraqis going out to vote are making sure it's not in vain.

 

[Warwick]

C130 big news in OZ

Sad to hear this happened.
Its big news here in Australia due to the navigator being ex aussie RAAF.
On his last flight before discharging and moving back home to OZ with his family.
I suppose statistically it was going to happen sooner or later with the amount of potshots the insurgents have been taking at aircraft over there.
Some transports have been hit by small arms fire but all until now have successfully evaded manpad fire.
Hopefully the launcher can be tracked down and destroyed negating the publicity the enemy are trying to get amongst there own kind.
My condolences to the familys hurt in this tragedy.

 

[Snauhi]

I bet that they are hiding the death toll, i fear that it will be ALOT more then ten.

 

[A Can of Man]

Well if it's just largely supplies, 10 is concievable... the minimum crew of a C-130 I think is 4.
And very unfortunate for the Australian navigator

 

[Warwick]

C130 crew numbers

I'm pretty sure it was a J model Herc.
Flight deck is all wiz bang computers so the crew should be a pilot and co-pilot with two loadmasters in the back.
The older E and H models have a flight deck crew of 4, pilot, co-pilot, Nav and engineer plus the loadmasters in the back.
Maybe the Brits do it different with crews, but all the same its a tragedy that will have the whole airlift community in the middle east re evaluating procedures and Tac flying.