South Korean navy patrol aircraft crashes killing 4 crew

Seoul, South Korea - A South Korean maritime patrol aircraft crashed soon after takeoff near a military base in the southern city of Pohang on Thursday, killing all four crew members, the navy said.

The P-3 aircraft went down about six minutes after it left the airfield on a training mission at 1:43 p.m. (0443 GMT), the navy said in a statement.

Witness video footages aired on YTN television showed the plane banking at low altitude, then a plume of smoke and fire after it crashed.

The remains of the crew members have been recovered and no civilian casualties were reported, the navy said. Operation of the P-3 aircraft has been suspended and an accident investigation has been opened, it said.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim, Jack KimEditing by Ed Davies and Giles Elgood)