Civilian aircraft crashes in Iraq

A civilian cargo aircraft has crashed to the south of Falluja, in western Iraq, US officials have said.

The cargo plane was carrying four to six people, the US military said, when it crashed because of a "malfunction".

Witnesses said the plane took off from Habbaniya base in Anbar province but was seen in flames before crashing.

There was no word on whether the crew of the plane survived the crash. Their nationalities were also unknown, the US military said.

"It was a malfunction. It lost radio contact, then it crashed. We have no information on the fate of the crew," a US military spokeswoman said.

Iraqi police told the Associated Press that the plane, which took off near Falluja, crashed in the desert without causing Iraqi casualties.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7727911.stm