No Marines from Cherry Point involved in Mississippi Crash, Official Says

CBS News ^ | July 11, 2017

[Cecily]

IITTA BENA, Miss. (AP) — A U.S. military plane used for refueling crashed into a soybean field in rural Mississippi, killing at least 16 people aboard in a fiery wreck and spreading debris for miles, officials said.

Leflore County Emergency Management Agency Director Frank Randle told reporters at a briefing late Monday that 16 bodies had been recovered after the KC-130 spiraled into the ground about 85 miles (135 kilometers) north of Jackson in the Mississippi Delta. A witness said some bodies were found more than a mile from the crash site.

Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns said in a statement that a KC-130 “experienced a mishap” Monday evening but provided no details. The KC-130 is used as a refueling tanker.

[Cecily]

So very sad. RIP, armed service members.

[txrefugee]

Do refueling planes normally carry so many people?

[laplata]

Do refueling planes normally carry so many people?

---

I don’t think so. This tragedy is probably due to how depleted and unprepared the military has become after 16 years of wars and 8 years of POS Obama.

[Always A Marine]

Do refueling planes normally carry so many people?

The USMC KC-130 is a dual-use plane which can be configured separately for refueling (K) or cargo (C) by adding or removing internal fuel bladders.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I believe it was a cargo and refueling plane. When I was in the USAF, on KC-135s we often carried lots of people to various destinations, but few on refueling missions unless they were on “Flying status” and earning their flying time.

[Oldexpat]

Are these aircraft so old they are having structural failures? Could it have been an explosion on board?

[afsnco]

Sometimes. If there’s space available, they release seats to space-A passengers who want to go to the plane’s destination.

[yarddog]

The design is really old but I have read that they continued to make them and maybe still are.

[wtd]

Quote from linked article:

"...a KC-130 “experienced a mishap”

**************

• UKDailyMail:President Trump and Melania tweet condolences over 'heartbreaking' crash after Marine Corps KC-130 aircraft loaded with ammunition explodes at 20,000 feet leaving 16 dead
• KC-130 military airplane, which is typically used as a refueling tanker, crashed outside of Greenwood in Mississippi on Monday afternoon
• Officials have recovered 16 bodies from the wreckage and are still searching the crash site
• The names of those killed have not been made public pending notification of family members
• An official with the Greenwood Airport said the plane suffered a structural failure at 20,000 feet
• A Mississippi State Trooper said: 'There's a lot of ammo in the plane' and officials found debris on both sides of Highway 82 in Leflore County
• The Lockheed KC-130 may have come from the Naval Support Activity Mid-South Base located in Millington

  **************

  Tthe FBI is assisting on the scene as well. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said the NTSB is not involved in the investigation at this time since it's a military aircraft.

  **************

  10:09 a.m. update via Tennessean.com

  The Marine aircraft that crashed Monday evening was a KC-130T from Marine Aerial Refueling and Transport Squadron (VMGR) 452, Marine Air Group-49, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Forces Reserve, according to a press release sent out Tuesday morning.

  "The flight originated from Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, N.C., as the squadron was supporting a requirement to transport personnel and equipment from there to Naval Air Field El Centro, Calif," the release stated.

  The crew consisted of 15 Marines and one Navy Corpsman. Equipment on board included various small arms ammunition and personal weapons. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team is at the scene as a precaution in the interest of safety, according to the release.

[Oldexpat]

They have them in storage in Tucson and you see them being pulled out of storage driving by.

[LibWhacker]

A witness said some bodies were found more than a mile from the crash site.

Were they jumping out of the plane or something?

[CivilWarBrewing]

This crash has me perplexed. 'Structural failure' could be the result of an explosion, cargo shift of ammo, fuel line leak, static spark, intentional discharge of a weapon, structural stress on an old aircraft due to weight of cargo, or a myriad of other possibilities.

I realize there are load masters, etc., but overloading of this aircraft with too much weight (ammo) seems a possibility. I hope there were no Maj. Hasans aboard.

[wita]

The final report on this accident will be very interesting should we be privileged to see it. There are very few in flight structural issues, or explosions on cargo type aircraft.

[CivilWarBrewing]

I am reminded of this horrible military cargo crash. Cargo shifted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M01RmcKsm2k

[Always A Marine]

Are these aircraft so old they are having structural failures? Could it have been an explosion on board?

Most USMC KC-130s are the newer KC-130J models which started rolling out in the late 1990s and are still in current production. However, one of the Reserve VMGR squadrons (in New York) is waiting its turn for the new bird and still flies the older KC-130T. The plane lost in Mississippi is a KC-130T, but it is way to soon to know what went wrong.

[wita]

I haven’t looked at the link yet but I would assume it was the Afghan crash of what looks like a 747. Nothing like a severely aft center of gravity, just after takeoff. I am not real big on aircraft crashes. Seen plenty, and blessed to have not been in them.

[Bigg Red]

Prayers.

[MarchonDC09122009]

This aircraft likely enroute to Central America to support anti-ISIS threat mission.
(Filled with small arms ammunition and firearms)

http://www.southcom.mil/MEDIA/NEWS-ARTICLES/Article/1200120/marine-task-force-deploys-to-central-america/

Question:
Mid-air explosions at 20,000’ for this type of aircraft are not common.
How many Islamist / ISIS terrorists / Muslim convert servicemen work on base and have access to sensitive assets and locations?

[MarchonDC09122009]

“Do we know how many US servicemen are Muslim convert ISIS supporters?”

FBI just found one:

https://pjmedia.com/homeland-security/2017/07/10/u-s-soldier-arrested-for-supporting-the-islamic-state

[pajama pundit]

Other than Drudge, FR is where I come to gather info on a wide variety of interesting topics/issues that I wouldn’t otherwise have the time to research. However, one of the most frustrating things about FR is the plethora of uninformed opinions and speculations that people feel the need to post on almost every topic.

I have many hours piloting Marine KC-130s all over the world. The aircraft is extremely reliable and the Loadmasters are very professional and conscientious. Since they were cruising at 20k feet and there was an explosion/catastrophic failure the most likely cause points to the ammunition that was being transported.