Roma, 23 Nov. (AKI) - A public inquiry will investigate Monday's tragic plane crash at the central Italian city of Pisa's airport which killed all five people on board. The Italian airforce said it will also conduct its own probe into what caused the C130 Hercules Italian military transport plane to crash during a training flight.

The plane crashed onto the runway immediately after taking off at Pisa's Galileo Galilei international airport and burst into flames. Some eyewitness reported seeing a fire break out aboard the plane before it crashed.

Eyewitnesses said the aircraft clipped power cables in windy conditions as it attempted to complete a manoeuvre known as "touch and go". It crashed next to railways lines.

All five passengers were members of the Italian airforce.

Italy's prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, defence minister Ignazio La Russa and Senate and lower house of parliament speakers Renato Schifani and Gianfranco Fini were among Italian politicians who expressed condolences to the victims' families.

The C130 Hercules (photo) is the world's most widely used aircraft to transport troops.

The Tuscany region's secretary for Italy's largest opposition party, the Democratic Party, Andrea Manciulli, said the crash was both tragic and worrying.

"It's a tragedy that leaves us concerned and saddened," he said expressing sympathy for the victims and their friends.