The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Baghdad

A civilian cargo aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday killing all seven people on board, the U.S. military and shipping firm FedEx said.

The plane was operated by a company called Falcon Aviation and was carrying FedEx cargo, FedEx spokeswoman Sandra Munoz said.

The Soviet-built AN-12 plane crashed shortly after take off, said Captain Charles Calio of the U.S. army. It had just left an air base near the western city of Falluja. Calio said no U.S. citizens or soldiers were on board the plane, which was operated by a German firm.

"It looks like everybody was lost," he said. Iraqi police Major Hussein al-Dulaimy, in western Iraq's Anbar province, said the aircraft burst into flames when it hit the ground.

Last month, a U.S. soldier was killed when two Black Hawk helicopters collided while landing in northern Baghdad, a crash which also injured two American and two Iraqi soldiers.

Seven U.S. soldiers were killed when a Chinook transport helicopter crashed in southern Iraq in September.