The horrific moment cargo plane dropped out of the sky before crashing in fireball - killing seven Americans in Afghanistan

By Thomas Durante and Reuters Reporter

PUBLISHED: 19:01 GMT, 30 April 2013 | UPDATED: 20:45 GMT, 30 April 2013

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A horrifying dashcam video has captured the terrifying moment that a plane plummeted out of the sky and violently crashed to earth in Afghanistan.

Seven American crew members of a U.S.-run cargo plane, bound for Dubai, were killed yesterday when the plane crashed shortly after take-off from Bagram air base near the Afghan capital of Kabul.

The Boeing 7474-400, filmed by what appears to be a vehicle's dashcam, appeared to take off normally as it gained altitude in the beginning of the video.

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Dashcam: The plane appears to be taking off normally at the beginning of the clip, gaining altitude shortly after takeoff from Bagram air base

Dashcam: The plane appears to be taking off normally at the beginning of the clip, gaining altitude shortly after takeoff from Bagram air base
Something's wrong: The plane, described as a cargo flight, then starts to twist and quickly

Something's wrong: The plane, described as a cargo flight, then starts to twist and quickly
Violent crash: The cause of the 747 crash is still under investigation

Violent crash: The cause of the 747 crash is still under investigation


But suddenly, the plane, described as a Boeing 747 cargo flight, appears to stall, twisting and dropping rapidly before crashing to the ground in a fireball.

In a statement, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the crash, but NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said there were no reports of insurgent activity in or around the base, which is one of the largest in the country and located about 25 miles north of Kabul.

'We did lose all seven crew members,' a spokeswoman for National Air Cargo told Reuters by telephone from Florida, where the company is located.

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The firm's president, Glen Joerger, said in a statement: 'Safety is always our top priority at National Airlines. This is a devastating loss for our family and we'll work diligently with authorities to find the cause.

The Afghanistan Ministry of Transportation and Commercial Aviation is leading the investigation.

'Most importantly, our thoughts and prayers are with our crewmembers and their families.'
Crash: The Taliban claimed that it shot down the aircraft, a claim NATO denies

Crash: The Taliban claimed that it shot down the aircraft, a claim NATO denies
Fireball: The plane exploded as it crashed back to earth, sending flames shooting into the air

Fireball: The plane exploded as it crashed back to earth, sending flames shooting into the air

Casualties: All seven crewmembers aboard the cargo plane were killed in the crash

Casualties: All seven crewmembers aboard the cargo plane were killed in the crash
Explosion: The terrifying crash sent flames shooting into the sky

Explosion: The terrifying crash sent flames shooting into the sky

The identities of the crew members were not immediately clear, but CNN reported that all seven were American.

The district governor for Bagram, Abdul Shukor, described the plane as having reached an altitude of about 1,312 feet before suddenly 'falling out of the sky,' he said, citing witness accounts.

Coalition forces said that the official cause of the crash is under investigation, but it is believed that the plane's cargo - which included mostly military vehicles - moved as the flight took off, causing it to spin out of control.

The Aviation Herald reported that the crew of the plane reported that a load shift caused the plane to stall moments before the crash. Bad weather is also being weighed as a possible cause.

The crash came two days after four U.S. service members were killed when their surveillance aircraft in southern Afghanistan crashed due to bad weather.

The Afghanistan Ministry of Transportation and Commercial Aviation is leading the probe into the crash, but the NTSB has also sent a team of investigators.
Tragedy: A giant plume of smoke can be seen just moments after the crash

Tragedy: A giant plume of smoke can be seen just moments after the crash