Posted on 09/30/2020 6:05:25 AM PDT by Yo-Yo
Information is very fragmented at this time, so details are bound to change, but reports state that a military aircraft has crashed somewhere near the Salton Sea in Southern California. Witnesses said they saw things dropping from the sky, possibly under parachutes, not long before an aircraft impacted the ground.
We reached out to NAF El Centro, which is located nearby in the Imperial Valley, who told us that military and law enforcement air assets are on the scene, but they do not know specifically what crashed or even if it was one of the many Navy and Marine aircraft, mainly F/A-18 Hornets and T-45 Goshawks, that frequent the base and the nearby airspace for training. Navy and Marine helicopters also are regular visitors.
Not long after we talked to the public affairs folks at NAF El Centro, they posted the following message on their Facebook page:
There are other unconfirmed reports that the crew was able to get out of the aircraft and were found alive not far from the crash site. It is possible that the aircraft dumped its ordnance and flares before it went down, which could have resulted in the confusion. The area is a Mecca for military aircraft training. NAF El Centro itself is best known for being the home of the Blue Angels during the team's winter training.
It is very possible this could have been a civilian aircraft instead of a military one, but as it sits now, military is what we are hearing. We also don't know if there was just one aircraft involved or more than one, which is always possible, especially in this area.
We will update this post as soon as more information comes available.
UPDATE:
We are hearing about a possible incident with an F/A-18 Hornet and a KC-130J. This image of a crashed KC-130J from VMGR-352 'Raiders' out of MCAS Miramar has emerged in NAF El Centro's Facebook post commenting feed:
UPDATE:
NAF El Centro says it was not an aircraft that originated from its base. KC-130J appears to have been involved, making a crash landing. It isn't clear if there was another type involved or what it was, although a tactical fighter is what is being discussed. The KC-130J is the Marines' organic aerial refueling asset which can be a very tricky and even outright dangerous business.
UPDATE:
We have received an official statement from the USMC:
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. (Sep. 29, 2020) — At approximately 1600 it was reported that an F-35B made contact with a KC-130J during an air-to-air refueling evolution, resulting in the crash of the F-35B. The pilot of the F-35B ejected successfully and is currently being treated.
The KC-130J is on deck in the vicinity of Thermal Airport. All crew members of the KC-130J have been reported safe.
The official cause of the crash is currently under investigation. Updates will be provided as information becomes available.
UPDATE:
KC-130J up over the crash site right now. The aircraft has a powerful FLIR system and can also provide additional command and communications functions. Additional surveillance functions are available via a bolt-on Harvest Hawk kit.
UPDATE:
A better shot of the KC-130J, some significant damage. This was likely a very wild ride down. Amazing everyone walked away.
UPDATE:
We have the air traffic control audio with RAIDER 50, the KC-130J, before and after the collision. It's a must-hear. You can find this and future updates at our new post linked here.
Notice in the last photo that the port refueling underwing pod is missing, and that a very healthy stream of what is assumed to be fuel is pouring out of the attach point.
The tank between the engine nacelles is an external fuel tank, and the 'tanks' outboard of the engines are the refueling nacelles.
Yeah, this is likened to a Captain of a ship colliding with something....heads will roll and someone or somebody will either end up retiring early or heading for a remote desk job in some obscure part of the world.
It’s a dangerous business. Thank the Lord they all came out in one piece.
The recording is chilling, but it also provides new details about the terrifying incident.
BY TYLER ROGOWAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
In the early evening on September 29th, 2020, The War Zone was among the first to report on the collision between a USMC KC-130J Hercules tanker-transport and an F-35B Lightning II fighter from the same service in a military operating area (MOA) adjacent to the Salton Sea in Southern California. The Marines confirmed that the F-35B pilot safely ejected and the KC-130J made an emergency landing and everyone on board survived. Now, thanks to recorded air traffic control audio, we can hear exactly what communications were like before and after the collision occurred, as well as learn a number of new details about the mishap.
The audio was posted by JetScan1 over at LiveATC.net, you can listen to it for yourself here.
The KC-130J, which belongs to VMGR-352 "Raiders" based at nearby MCAS Miramar, was flying under the callsign RAIDER 50. In the recording, RAIDER 50's crew requested to LA Center to fly into the high altitude block of the Kane West MOA, which sits mainly on the west side of the Sulton Sea, but also crosses over it at its midpoint. The MOA was active at the time, but the KC-130J crew was aware of the other traffic. They were cleared to enter into it at 17,000 feet.
Next, we hear LA Center reply to American Airlines Flight 237 that saw some sort of explosion on the ground near where it was flying over. Immediately after we hear RAIDER 50 declare an emergency:
"LA Center LA Center, RAIDER 50 declaring an emergency, midair collision with VOLT 93. We have two engines out, we're leaking fuel, and likely on fire, and in emergency descent at this time. RAIDER 50."
The controller at LA Center then tries to confirm the KC-130 is in the Kane West MOA and asks to clarify if they are indeed "going down now." RAIDER 50 comes back on frequency back and states:
"We declare an emergency. We still have partial control of the aircraft. Two engines out. We are aiming towards uh..."
RAIDER 50 then cuts out and the controller asks for clarification if they are heading towards NAF El Centro or the airport at nearby Imperial, both of which are located to the south of Kane West MOA. The controller tries to raise them again, but there is no response.
Another voice comes on repeating that they think they said they had a mid-air and have two engines out. Another voice snaps back warning N979CF, a Hawker bizjet, not to clog the frequency and states that there is a plume of black smoke on the ground in the Kane West MOA and notes it came into sight about the time RAIDER 50 called in the emergency. He adds "there's at least one aircraft down it looks like." LA Center thanks the voice and another comes on and says "impact looks like it was prior to his last transmission."
RAIDER 50 is once again talking to LA Center, but they cannot be heard in the recording, likely because they had dropped significantly in altitude. The controller asks RAIDER 50 to clarify that they were attempting to head to Thermal, an airport located just beyond the northern edge of the Salton Sea. That is confirmed. Then the controller says "RAIDER 50, I understand you are about 20 miles away and you are looking for the winds, let me get the winds for you. The wind is 150 at 08 knots."
RAIDER 50 then confirms engines number four and three are out and that they have the airport in sight at about 15 miles out. The controller then gives them a number to LA Center to call on the ground once they land and passes the airport's UNICOM frequency to the crew.
That's where the recording cuts off. We know the aircraft didn't land at Thermal, it ended up in a farmer's field, badly damaged, on its belly, but still overall intact. Everyone survived.
Truly amazing work by the crew.
The professionalism and relative calm that is showcased in this recording by all those involved is truly remarkable.
Although we only have limited details about this mishap, one thing is clear, RAIDER 50's crew has one hell of a story to tell.
VMGR-352 flying their iconic Jolly Roger.
I see fuel pouring out of that left wing int the field. That will ruin the soil...........................
Kind of surprised refueling accidents doesn’t happen more often
A little bondo and paint and some engine work and it’ll be good as new.
Did you see my comment #1? It looks to me as if the fuel is pouring out of where the left refueling pod is normally attached.
Pure speculation: The F-35B somehow collided with the refueling pod, or else somehow the hose and drogue jammed and the F-35B pulled the refueling pod off of the wing.
That is probably what happened.
OR
The F-35 pilot turned away at a sharp angle before disengaging the hose, it jerked the nose from off his aircraft and it crashed, the KC-130 was damaged and had to make a crash landing..................
.... and some new underwear all around......................
“RAIDER 50’s crew has one hell of a story to tell.”
I suppose they did their job, as “hero” Captain Sullenberger did.
Let’s hope Raider 50’s crew don’t become heroes to our domestic enemies like Sully did.
It’s Jet A or kerosene. It won’t be too hard to deal with, it’s a fairly light fuel.
Most of it should evaporate in the heat of the day. They are just south of Palm Springs and Mojave Desert. I was stationed at 29 Palms Marine Corps Base in the 70’s and rode my motorcycle all over that area on weekends..................
All that wilderness and they crashed in town?
If one has to make a wheels-up forced landing, the pilot of the tanker made an excellent choice of a plowed-earth field. Soft, level, and no hazards like trees.
I believe the pilot of the F-35B ejected, and the plane came down wherever it was going to come down.
The tanker aircraft came down in a farmer’s field.
#1 looks to be the standard four blade, paddle blade you see on C-130s and P-3s, but that inboard prop is one of those new style. #3 and #4 are unknown.
What's interesting is that they (seem to have) mixed prop types on one aircraft.
If you enlarge the image you posted of the downed aircraft, you can see very significant damage to the KC-130s props. Based on appearance of propeller blades, the only intact prop is on the port inboard engine. Port outboard engine blades are bent, starboard outboard are missing (note the open nacelle panels) and, while you cannot see the starboard inboard engine due to the aircraft fuselage, its propeller blades cannot be seen.
So the aircraft seems to have suffered loss of its port refueling pod and had damage to three of its four propellers in the accident. Yet the pilot brought the aircraft down down from altitude, identified a dirt farm field to land in, and landed the aircraft relatively intact. The refueler is definitely repairable.
Just a layman’s opinion, but that is probably Distinguished Flying Cross (or equivalent) level flying.
Which engines are # 3&4? Raider 50 said those were the two out.
Crash picture looks like two on right have some damage from landing or collision.
The aircraft is a KC-130J. The C-130J models all have six bladed props. If you count fewer than six, that may be because one or more were knocked off in the mishap.
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