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Bush Expresses Sadness Over Military Plane Crash
U.S. President George W. Bush said Saturday he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of 21 people who were killed when a military aircraft crashed in Georgia State.
"This tragic loss on a routine training mission reminds us of the sacrifices made each and every day by all of our men and women in uniform," Bush said in a statement from Camp David, the presidential retreat outside Washington.
The C-23 Sherpa plane was carrying three army crew members and 18 National Guard members when it crashed Saturday morning in heavy rain near Unadilla, some 50 kilometers south of Macon.
The light military transport plane took off from Hurlbert Field near Fort Walton Beach in Florida and was headed to Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia when it went down near Macon.
U.S. National Guard units are state-organized corps called up for duty during disasters, national emergencies, and as backup for the regular U.S. military during crises such as the 1991 Gulf War.
It was too early to say what caused the crash but officials said the plane came down in bad weather.
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