All 17 airmen aboard the C-5 transport aircraft that crashed this morning at 6:30 a.m. near Dover AFB, Del., have survived, Air Force officials confirmed this afternoon. Various news reports said that the airmen, who are from the 436th Airlift Wing and 512th Airlift Wing (AFRC) at Dover, were taken to two area medical facilities, and some of them were walking on their own.. The airlifter reportedly crashed only minutes after taking off from the Air Mobility Command facility after experiencing some kind of mechanical problem. It was attempting to land back at Dover, when it crashed short of the runway, breaking into three pieces.
The Air Force has finished modifying and testing the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One, the service announced May 1. All that’s left now is to finish painting the jet before it starts flying this summer.