Photos show devastation as navy aircraft crashes on hillside in South Korea

A South Korean navy plane carrying four people crashed in a southeastern city of Pohang during a training flight on May 29. The crash resulted in the death of 3 crew members. (Image credit: AP)

The P-3 patrol plane fell to the ground due to unknown reasons. The navy had established a task force to investigate the cause of the crash and temporarily suspended all flights of P-3s. (Image credit: AP)

The firefighters and military officers worked at the scene of crash. Rescue workers and fire trucks were dispatched to the site after receiving reports from local residents that an unidentified aircraft fell onto a hill near an apartment complex and caused a fire. (Image credit: AP)

South Korea's news agency, Yonhap confirmed that the workers found the bodies of three crew members and were preparing to transfer them to a nearby hospital. The workers were continuing to search for the remaining one. (Image credit: AP)

Fire authorities dispatched 17 pieces of equipment and some 40 personnel to respond to the accident. (Image credit: AP)

Acting President Lee Ju-ho (left) was briefed on the crash by acting defense minister Kim Seon-ho (right) and called for full efforts to rescue the passengers and prevent further damage to the surrounding environment, his office said. (Image credit: Yonhap news agency)

The Navy operated 16 P-3C aircraft, dubbed the "submarine killer" for its anti-submarine capabilities. The first eight of the 16 aircraft were deployed in 1995. The recent accident marks the first known crash involving a P-3C aircraft deployed by the armed service. (Image credit: Yonhap news agency)