Posted on 09/29/2020 9:07:26 PM PDT by BenLurkin
A Marine Corps fighter jet collided in mid-air with another plane during a refueling operation in a remote desert area of Southern California Tuesday afternoon. But the pilot ejected and the other aircraft landed safely, the military said.
The F-35B jet collided with a Lockheed Martin KC-130J tanker around 4 p.m., according to a statement from the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in nearby Arizona.
The other plane reportedly had eight crew members on board. None were injured.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
But the pilot ejected and the other aircraft landed safely, the military said.
Air refueling accident is my guess...
Glad to hear no fatalities!
Unfortunate. Lots of questions here.
Very likely.
It happened during daylight so the most likely cause was collision during refueling. The KC-130 drags drogues and hoses from just outboard the engines and the receiver aircraft typically flies below the level of the tanker. If the receiver gets to high, the propwash could cause all kinds of undesired effects.
You know what you hear after “Eject, Eject, Eject!” Nothing but the wind going by because the pilot left as he said Eject the third time. :) Good landings, everyone walked away.
You know what you hear after “Eject, Eject, Eject!” Nothing but the wind going by because the pilot left as he said Eject the third time. :) Good landings, everyone walked away.
....
Right you are! Great training and courage pay off!
The KC landed wheels up, that or the wheels collapsed.
well thats a couple hundred million gone
My daughter-in-law is a Marine pilot of KC-130’s and in that area - hope she wasn’t flying the tanker then, but glad all are ok.
Son is a Navy aviator.
Such a relief to read that all are ok. My heart starting beating quickly when I read the headline. We know so many of those young aviators.
Update from the local news. Plane landed about 1 mile East of the Thermal airport in the farm field as shown. Closest intersection is Polk and 59th street. At Polk and 58th street there so happens to be a Riverside County fire station. I bet they were on the scene in minutes. The F35 crashed just West of Salton City beyond STR 86 in the desert.
Okay.
How does the most technologically advanced Fighter in the World collide with a much larger Refueling Plane in broad daylight?
Just askin’...
Thank you for the info!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.