Seven killed in cargo plane crash in western Iraq
Seven crew members were killed when a civilian cargo plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, U.S. military said on Friday.
The Russian-made An-12 cargo plane crashed on Thursday before midday in a desert area while enroute from the al-Asad air base in Anbar province to Baghdad, a military statement said.
The aircraft, operated by a Dubai-based firm Falcon Aviation Group, was carrying FedEx Express packages among its cargo when the incident took place, the military said.
The U.S. military said that the incident was likely caused by "mechanical failure or pilot error," adding that an investigation in underway.
The military also said that all the seven crew members who were killed by the incident were not Americans.
In a statement, FedEx said that it is monitoring the situation of an aircraft operated by one of its contractors to carry FedEx Express cargo crashed in western Iraq.
"FedEx is closely monitoring the situation and is working with the contractor to investigate the situation," the statement said.