Bogota  - Five members of the Colombian Air Force (FAC) died Wednesday as the training plane they were travelling in crashed.

The machine had taken off from a FAC base in the municipality of Puerto Salgar and fell to the ground shortly afterwards near La Dorada, in the central Colombian province of Caldas. The causes of the accident were not immediately known.

FAC commander Jorge Ballesteros said the dead included a major, two second lieutenants and two technicians. He said the cause of the crash was being investigated but ruled out sabotage or a rebel attack.

The plane, a Douglas AC-47, was carrying bombs and machine-guns of the type that are commonly used in combat against leftist rebels. (dpa)