Kyrgyz plane hits US cargo plane during take-off

BISHKEK, Sep 26 (Reuters) A Kyrgyz passenger plane hit a US military cargo plane and smashed off part of its wing before taking off at Bishkek airport tonight, a Kyrgyz government source told Reuters. No one was injured.

The Kyrgyzstan Airlines Russian-made TU-154 aircraft, with 52 passengers and 9 crew on board, ripped off about 2.5 metres of its wing when it collided with a US C-130 Hercules cargo plane during take-off at about 2200 local time.

The Kyrgyz plane reached an altitude of about 200 metres and circled once before returning to land at Manas airport, northwest of Bishkek, said the official who is taking part in an investigation into the incident.

The US cargo plane had been trying to turn off the runway when the collision took place. Its wing caught fire but firefighters extinguished the blaze.

The United States has an airbase at the airport that it uses to support operations in Afghanistan. The US airbase declined to comment on the incident.

REUTERS SRS RAI0014