A pilot error resulted in a military plane crash that killed 9 airmen in May

SAVANNAH, Georgia. – The cause of a military plane crash that claimed the lives of nine people outside Savannah, Georgia, is a pilot error, according to a report from the accident investigation committee of the US Air Force.

Nine aviators of the Puerto Rico National Guard died on May 2, when the plane plunged onto Georgia Highway 21 shortly after taking off from Savannah Airport.

Brig. General John C. Millard's team spent nearly a month reviewing a range of evidence, including interviews, logbooks, videos, briefing materials, and inspecting debris from the aircraft before gather a detailed sequence of events surrounding the accident.

According to the report, the left-most engine encountered problems, and investigators found that the crew's poor management of the fault deviated from the usual procedures. If these procedures are not followed, any further action by the pilot will result in a loss of control of the aircraft, which will cause it to crash.

The aircraft was assigned to a crew from the 156th Air Transport Wing at Muniz Air Base in Puerto Rico. Their mission was to deliver the C-130 Savannah aircraft to an air force base in Arizona, commonly known as the "Boneyard", where it would be put out of service.

The pilot was previously identified as Commander Jose R. Roman Rosado of Manati, Puerto Rico.

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