A Lockeed C-130J Hercules transport plane, operated by the Italian Air Force, was destroyed when crashed and burned today, immediately after takeoff from Pisa-Gal Galilei Airport (PSA). All five crew members were killed. The airplane came down on a railway line, broke up and caught fire.
LiveLeak crash scene video.
Damn. RIP.
Crashed immediately after takeoff? A 130! 
Crash photos and Italian news coverage Click Here.
Sad news 
My only question…5 people on a 3 person crew herc?? It doesn’t say “5 crewmembers” so maybe just pax?
Standard crew on the Herc is five, two pilots, navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster. Even on birds without a navigator that position is usually replaced by a crew chief.
You don’t need to drive the plane to be crew, they also serve who push out the pallets or turn the wrenches!
Correct; any older (H, K, etc) model hercs are 5 person crew. However, the new J models are 3-4 depending on whether there is an FCC. Which brings me to my question; 1-2 pax? Or maybe taking a new loadie/pilot/etc out for training?
I know what defines crew on a herky…I’m in the (hopefully) final stages of enlisting as a loadmaster(smasher). 
While that may be true for USA DoD users of the aircraft, I doubt that’s a universally applied “rule” that would affect the Italian Air Force.
Good luck with that and thanks for your (anticipated) service.
Ah that’s very true! I had that noted (…maybe Italians man a J differently…) in my original reply but unfortunately something wigged out on the forum at that particular time. Believe it or not. 
Thank you very much, sir.
