Cargo Plane Crashes in Colombia, Killing 5 Crew Members

A cargo airplane operated by the Colombian carrier Aerosucre crashed just three minutes after takeoff on Tuesday evening, killing five crew members. A flight technician on board survived and was taken to a hospital with injuries.

The plane, a Boeing 727, can be seen tilting to one side and veering off a runway as it attempted to take off around 5:20 p.m. local time at the German Olano Airport in the city of Puerto Carreno in eastern Colombia, near the border with Venezuela, said Aeronautica Civil, Colombia's aviation authority. The flight was heading to Colombia's capital, Bogota.

The plane crashed at 5:23 p.m. and burst into flames. Aviation firefighters arrived at the scene, 10 miles from the airport, to handle the emergency just minutes after the crash, Aeronautica Civil said.