What happened
On July 7, a C-130 Hercules departed from Baghdad Airport while performing a support mission. The aircraft was carrying a total of 38 people, consisting of 32 passengers and a crew of six. Approximately one minute after the takeoff, as the aircraft reached an altitude of 313 feet and a speed of 163 knots, the onboard defensive systems were triggered.
Following the activation of the defensive alert, the flight crew identified a critical malfunction involving the aircraft's propulsion. Specifically, engines number 1, 3, and 4 each experienced a 60% reduction in power. In response to this loss of thrust, the pilot initiated an emergency descent to locate a suitable landing site.
The crew successfully maneuvered the aircraft into an open field situated roughly 7.5 km north of the Baghdad airport. While the impact caused the aircraft to be damaged beyond repair, there were no injuries among the 38 occupants, all of whom managed to evacuate the plane safely.
Due to the nature of the incident, personnel from the 447th Air Expeditionary Group, including U.S. Air Force maintenance and explosive ordnance disposal teams, were dispatched to the site. Following the emergency landing, these teams utilized explosive charges to destroy the airframe on July 7.