Plane Carrying Spanish Troops Crashes, Killing 74

Seventy-four people, mostly Spanish peacekeeping troops returning from Afghanistan, were killed when a Ukrainian plane crashed today while trying to make a refueling stop in Turkey, Turkish media reported.

The plane was flying from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to Zaragoza, Spain, with a refueling stop in Trabzon, private NTV television reported, quoting Turkish aviation officials.

The Russian-made YAK-42 hit a mountain near Macka, 30 miles south of the Black Sea port of Trabzon, NTV said. It carried 62 passengers -- all Spanish peacekeeping forces -- and 12 crew members, the station said, quoting Turkish officials.

Military officials at the scene said there were no survivors, private CNN-Turk television reported.

Turkish soldiers retrieved more than 25 bodies from the wreckage, Gov. Aslan Yildirim of Trabzon told CNN-Turk. A witness, Sait Topcu, told the station that the plane was exploding in flames when he reached the site.

The plane apparently went down during its third attempt to land in thick fog at Trabzon airport. Officials told NTV the pilot reported not being able to see the runway on the first two attempts.