SAVANNAH, GA (WSAV) – A catastrophic failure is what one Air Force crash investigator says led to last week’s deadly plane crash. Nearly a week later and the remains of that plane still lie on Highway 21.

The WC-130 cargo plane nose-dived onto Highway 21 moments after departing Savannah Hilton Head International Airport, Wednesday. The plane was being retired to the “boneyard” in Tuscon, Arizona before the crash. Nine Puerto Rican airmen were on board and all perished in the crash.

News 3 spoke to Attorney Randy Reep, about what could have possibly happened. Reep who is currently a Jacksonville Attorney who has 30 years of experience in the military and 25 years in military aviation. Reep also graduated from the Air Force Crash Investigation School.

It’s important to know that Reep is not working this case but his years of experience as a military pilot and crash investigator can provide more insight this deadly crash.

Reep watched the video that shows the plane in its final moments. He says,”that roll into a nosedive that you see is what would give people concern that there was something catastrophic that structurally failed on the airplane to cause that sudden bend like that.”

He adds that the WC-130 is the most versatile aircraft in the air forces inventory. The WC-130 has been used as a hurricane hunter, relief missions, special ops in combat regularly, and was originally known for transporting during the Vietnam Era.

Although Reep has never flown a WC-130 himself, as an air force accident investigator his experience tells him the pilot had no chance to decide where to crash the plane.

“I doubt much thought went in on the pilot’s mind to where this aircraft was going to impact. Because in reality as a pilot we’re trained to fly the airplane,” Reep says. “And I guarantee you that this crew, this entire crew not just the pilot was fighting with that airplane to keep it airborne until the last second of impact. They didn’t give up on it nor did they choose where it impacted.”

News 3 recently learned the cargo planes from Puerto Rico are the oldest in the fleet.  This one, in particular, was more than 40 years old and was only in Savannah for routine maintenance.

He says one of his concerns, “could be that they were limping it to its final resting place.”

But, he also points out there are plenty of vintage planes flying that is well maintained and perfectly safe.

“The maintainers that keep these airplanes it’s like their pet or their own private car. These are many times immaculately kept airplanes well into what you would consider very senior years,” Reep said.

He says pilots and crew members are trained in everything they do except, what to do if you lose control of the plane. “In the military and in civil aviation, emergency procedures training is the backbone to what we train to do,” he says.

He adds that it is no surprise the plane crashed shortly after takeoff as he says taking off and landing are the most difficult phase of flight for any aircraft.

“I mean again total speculation but we’ve lost airplane with four engines for hitting a flock of birds before. There are many dangers near the land that can be dangerous to the airplane,” Reep said.

Reep also says he doesn’t know of any pilot who would take-off in a plane that wasn’t airworthy.

Though he has decades of experience as a military pilot and crash investigator, he is not working on this case. This is a military and federal investigation.