The cause of the Sunday evening crash of the aircraft from the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 145th Airlift Wing has not been determined, and the U.S. Northern Command released few details about the crash.
“There were casualties, and our thoughts and prayers go out to those who were injured and those who lost their lives,” the U.S. Northern Command said in a statement, without saying how many crew members were killed or injured.
Relatives of a North Carolina man said he was killed in the crash. Gracie Partridge told the Charlotte Observer the Air Force confirmed that her son-in-law, Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal, 42, died.
A helicopter landed near the crash site and took three crewmembers to Custer to be transported by ambulance to Rapid City Regional Hospital for treatment, The Rapid City Journal reported.
“The cause of the crash has not been determined, and the incident is under investigation,” a military statement added.
The aircraft went down at around 6 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET), the military said. At the time, the crew was fighting the White Draw Fire near the town of Edgemont, S.D.
“Our number one priority right now is taking care of the crew,” said Pat Cross, a spokesman handling information for the White Draw fire, according to NBC station KNBN.