A military KC-130 cargo plane collided with a fighter jet Tuesday afternoon over Imperial County, according to the United States Marine Corps and the California Highway Patrol.
At about 4 p.m., an F-35B jet made contact with the cargo plane during an air-to-air refueling effort, causing the jet to crash, the Marine Corps said in a statement. The jet’s pilot – its sole occupant – ejected from the craft and is being treated for injuries that are not life threatening, 1st Lt. Brett Vannier said.
The cargo plane made an emergency landing in a nearby farm area and is now at an airport in Thermal. All eight crew members of the cargo plane are safe, Vannier said.
Emergency personnel were on the scene. KYMA-TV reported that there were fires around the site of the crash.
| Date: | Tuesday 29 September 2020 |
| Time: | ca 16:00 |
| Type: | Lockheed KC-130J Hercules |
| Operator: | United States Marine Corps |
| Registration: | 166765 |
| C/n / msn: | 5565 |
| First flight: | |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | near Salton City, CA ( United States of America) |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | ? |
| Destination airport: | ? |
Narrative:
A U.S. Marine Corps Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II made contact with a Lockheed KC-130J Hercules (166765) during air-to-air refueling. The F-35B pilot successfully ejected and the aircraft crashed. The KC-130J made a forced gear-up landing in a carrot field near Thermal, California.
The KC-130J was attached to the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 (VMGR-352) out of MCAS Miramar, California. Photos of the aircraft show substantial damage to the no. 3 and 4 engines; all propeller blades had separated. The refueling pod mounted between engines no.3 and 4 had separated.
Link: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20200929-0
