Three Americans die in Afghan air crash

A plane similar to this MC-130E crashed near Gardez, Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Three people died Wednesday evening when an Air Force Special Operations MC-130 carrying 10 service members crashed in eastern Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Central Command.

Seven survivors were being treated for injuries ranging from a broken leg to cuts and bruises at a medical facility at a base in Kandahar, the command said. The remains of the dead were recovered and will be returned to the United States, the command said.

The MC-130H plane was carrying seven Air Force crew members and three military passengers. Central Command said it was withholding their names pending next of kin notification.

It crashed on takeoff around 9:30 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) near the Bande Sardeh Dam, about 40 miles southwest of the eastern Afghan town of Gardez, a region where U.S. forces have gone after al Qaeda holdouts along the Pakistan border.

EXTRA INFORMATION  MC-130E/H Combat Talon Description    CNN NewsPass VIDEO CNN's Jamie McIntyre says the crash of a U.S. MC-130 transport in southeast Afghanistan does not appear to be a result of hostile fire (June 12) Play video

The cause of the crash was under investigation, but Central Command said there was no indication the plane was brought down by hostile fire.

Air Force Special Operations, or AFSOC, is headquartered at Hurlburt Field Air Force Base in the Florida panhandle.

The MC-130 is the special operations version of a C-130. Modifications include the addition of an in-flight refueling receptacle and strengthening of the aircraft tail to allow high speed/low-signature airdrop.

An upgraded navigation system enables the aircraft to locate and either land or airdrop on small, unmarked zones with pinpoint accuracy day or night.

The model is known as the Combat Talon, whose primary function is dropping off, picking up or supplying special operations forces.

The Combat Talon first flew in the 1960s and was extensively used in Southeast Asia.

A KC-130, another refueling and transport version of the aircraft, crashed in western Pakistan in January, killing all seven Marines on board. (See story.)

-- CNN's Jamie McIntyre and Lisa Rose Weaver contributed to this report.