Tail cone falls off military aircraft - lands in yard

PEARL, Miss. (AP)

The tail cone of a Mississippi Army National Guard aircraft fell off during a training mission, landing in the yard of a home in Pearl.

Officials say no one on the ground was injured and the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III landed safely at the Jackson airport.

Lt. Col. Christian Patterson of the Mississippi Army National Guard said in a news release the plane lost its tail cone around 7 p.m. Wednesday.

A witness, Wynita Smith, told WLBT-TV (bit.ly/1OQvMFL) the tail cone first hit the street and bounced into a yard.

Patterson said the plane is assigned to Flowood's 172nd Airlift Wing based at Jackson-Evers International Airport.

Patterson says the incident is under investigation.

C-17 is a large military transport aircraft used to transport troops and cargo around the world.