Plane leaving US air force base catches fire

Authorities say a small plane leaving an air field at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts has caught fire and emergency crews are responding.

Jim Peters of the Federal Aviation Administration says a Gulfstream IV aircraft apparently ran off a runway last night as the plane was leaving the base. Peters said officials told the FAA that the aircraft caught fire.

The plane was headed to Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey at the time.

Neither the FAA nor the Massachusetts Port Authority had further details on what caused the accident, on the number of people aboard or their condition.
 

A spokeswoman for Hanscom did not immediately return a call for comment.