21 dead in National Guard plane crash in Georgia

A C-23 Sherpa National Guard plane, like the one pictured in this army photo, crashed in Pinehurst, Georgia, on Saturday morning

'We do not see any survivors,' sheriff says

UNADILLA, Georgia (CNN) -- A Florida National Guard transport plane crashed and burned Saturday in rural Georgia, killing all 21 people aboard, military officials and police told CNN.

"We do not see any survivors," Dooly County Sheriff Van Peavy said. Peavy's report was confirmed later by Robins Air Force Base spokesman John Birdsong.

The C-23 Sherpa went down outside Unadilla, Georgia, about 120 miles south of Atlanta, about 11 a.m. EST, said Birdsong. The plane was en route from Hurlburt Field, Florida, to Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Virginia. See map.

VIDEO CNN's Donna Kelley speaks with Dooly County Sheriff Van Peavy about the crash Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   RESOURCES Information on the C-23 Sherpa Recent fatal U.S. military accidents   MESSAGE BOARD The U.S. military

All on board were military personnel, National Guard Lt. Col. Greg Moore said.

"We're trying to get families notified here real quick," he said.

The C-23 was assigned to the Florida National Guard's 171st Aviation Battalion. It took off from Lakeland on Saturday morning with 18 passengers and a crew of three on board, Moore said.

The C-23 Sherpa is the Army's only transport plane. The boxy, twin-engine turboprop is capable of carrying up to 30 troops and landing on short, unpaved airstrips. It has been in service since 1984.

The Sherpa is the military version of the British-built Shorts 330 civilian airliner.

The aircraft went down in a field and was burning when emergency crews arrived, Peavy said.

The crash is under investigation by the National Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration. Birdsong said it was raining in the area at the time.

"I don't want to speculate, but I know from just being at home that it was pouring down raining at that time," he said.

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Florida National Guard
Robins Air Force Base
FAA

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