GWALIOR: An Indian Air Force C-130J Hercules cargo plane carrying five crew members crashed on Friday during a routine missionin Gwalior city in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, an Air Force spokesman said.

A rescue operation was under way after the plane, a heavy lifter of a type made by U.S. Lockheed Martin Corp, came down to the West of the city of Gwalior.

The fate of the crew was not known till the filing of this report.

India had recently acquired six C-130J aircrafts from the United States and has plans to acquire six more in the near future.

The Super Hercules planes are operated by 15 countries including the air forces of the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark and Italy.