An aircraft transporting vehicles and cargo from Afghanistan to Dubai crashed upon takeoff from Bagram Air Base just after 7 a.m. ET Monday, killing seven Americans who were on board.
The deceased include Pilots Brad Hasler of Trenton, Jeremy Lipka of Brooklyn, First Officers Jamie Brokaw of Monroe, Rinku Summan of Canton, loadmaster Michael Sheets of Ypsilanti, maintenance crew Gary Stockdale of Romulus, and Timothy Garrett of Lousiville, Kentucky were all pronounced dead upon the plane's crash.
Six of the victims hailed from Michigan, Vice President of National Air Cargo Shirley Kaufman told the Associated Press.
It is unclear what caused the Boeing 747-400, which was operated by National Air Cargo, to hit the ground.
Boeing Dreamliner 787 planes faced battery-related problems in January, after fires in the battery pack forced the carrier company to ground the entire Dreamliner fleet. But officials say they are unsure whether or not Monday's crash can be blamed on battery malfunction.
The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the plane crash, but NATO officials have since dashed that rumor.
51 year-old Gary Stockdale had a passion for flying: he built model planes, worked on real ones, and began his career in aviation at 16. Yet, he still was always aware of the dangers that came along with flying, his older brother told AP.
"He always said it was dangerous," said Glenn Stockdale. "He would always say 'you either will die in a car crash or a ball of flame in a plane."
Lipka, too, was aware of the risks, according to stepfather Dave Buttman. He had flown in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was no stranger to close calls.
"There was risk all the time," Buttman said. "He volunteered to take the trips...and he was just happy to be one of the pilots to do it."
Hasler, 34, was married about two weeks ago. He is survived by a 2 year-old daughter and older stepdaughter. He loved boating, fishing and spending time with his family.
According to 33 year-old Brokaw's close friend Chris Connerton, the First Officer was one of the biggest reason he made it through flight school in Jacksonville, Fl. where they first became close.
"If it wasn't for Jamie's navigation and know-how...we wouldn't have made it," he told AP.
Watch the chilling video of the aircraft crashing above.
