Posted on 07/10/2017 6:15:10 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
At least five people are dead after a military transport plane crashed in Mississippi, according to reports.
The plane came down early Monday evening, sending plumes of black smoke billowing into the air above a field near Moorhead, northwest of Jackson.
Sheriff Ricky Banks told the Clarion-Ledger that at least five people had died on the aircraft, believed to be carrying nine.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
In this day and age, I suppose that’s a reasoned question isn’t it.
Especially because it is being reported at the Daily Mail that it exploded at 20,000 ft.
Sounds like it could have been a mid-air collision during refueling operations, with another aircraft.
20,000 feet is about right for KC-130 refueling operations, though I haven't heard any other reports of damaged aircraft landing nearby.
===
Alan Hammons, an official at Greenwood Airport, told WNCN that the aircraft suffered a “structural failure” at 20,000 feet.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/11/marine-aircraft-crash-at-least-12-bodies-recovered-from-mississippi-crash-site.html
Terrible...
The impact area seemed awfully small for an aircraft exploding at 20,000 feet.
Perhaps it wasn’t a full blown disintegration at altitude.
It will be interesting to see what they come up with.
If there was Jihadi involvement, it’s going to be a game changer.
After the Fort Hood cover up, I wouldn’t be so sure.
Clicking the link, the headline now says 16 dead, those poor families.
The NY Times report says a wing came down a mile away from the main impact site:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/us/military-plane-crashes-mississippi-delta-deaths.html
Possibly a propeller let go mid-flight. It has happened.
I flew on the EC-130H Compass Call aircraft back in the early '90s. We had two rows of equipment lining the sides of the aircraft. I almost always sat in the fore-most starboard position on that equipment, and to my left, somewhere about a foot or so, there was a safety tape (black/yellow) line up the inside of the fuselage that showed where the inner starboard engine's propeller would be. Basically I was told that's where to expect the impact should a propeller from that engine let loose and come into the craft.
Makes you wonder what was on that plane...
God awful dear God please save our Military. Why them? RIP great Americans.
RIP Warriors
Is 8 or 9 a regular crew size on one of these birds?
The death toll is now up to at least 16! They are still looking for bodies.
It can, the 'K" just means it is refueling capable.
The Marines fly the KC-130 with a crew of 6 typically adding safety spotters/refuelling equipment operators.
Damn...
Mississippi news outlets are reporting there was a lot of ammo on the plane.
The allegation that the forward fuselage was located separated from the rest of the aircraft wouldn't suggest a collision as the refuelling aircraft trail below and behind about mid wing on either side. Also with passengers onboard (last count I read was 16 fatalities recovered) it would suggest that it was a logistical flight, not a dedicated refuelling mission.
I am purely speculating now at this point but there may have been an internal explosion possibly ordnance being carried. On the video I transmitted on an earlier post, there is an unusual yellow smoke trail flying opposite the direction of the main smoke plume. You can see it as the helicopter rotates around the rear of the wreckage.
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.