A Colombian AC-47 gunship crashed into a mountain during combat on 2 Sept, killing all seven crewmen. The AC-47 is an old C-47 cargo plane loaded with weapons and night vision gear; it is used to provide fire support to based camps under attack by FARC rebels. The government denied that the plane had been shot down, saying that it ran into a mountain while an exhausted crew was flying through thick fog. The Colombians have four other AC-47s, plus one more on order that should arrive later this year. A replacement aircraft has been ordered to bring the fleet to six aircraft.--Stephen V Cole