I n all the charred wreckage, perhaps the grimmest sight became the growing number of tiny flags sullen cleanup crews sporadically stuck into the ground. Packed with sophisticated surveillance equipment, the Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft is easily recognized by its distinctive radar dome that looks like a miniature flying saucer mounted on top of the plane.
Witnesses say problems started for the doomed flight almost immediately.
Halfway down the runway, flames shot out of the left front engine, followed by a shower of sparks. Yukla 27 took off, banked left, then began a horrifying dive. A huge fireball erupted skyward, as the aircraft, loaded with 125,000 pounds of jet fuel, slammed into the earth. Timothy P. Barela photos by Master Sgt.