Marine Families Need Our Prayers Right Now As Tragedy Strikes Over Mississippi
Tragedy struck the Marine Corps and all of America last night as a loaded KC-130 Hercules refueling aircraft exploded in midair and crashed into a field in Mississippi. All 16 aboard are reported to have perished.
Despite President Trump’s best efforts to replace aging military equipment that fell into severe disrepair over the last decade, it takes time to do it. Unfortunately, last night we found out that we don’t always have “time.”
The Marine Corps KC-130 left Memphis, TN on Monday with 16 on board, exploded in midair and crashed into a soybean field in Mississippi.
Via MS News Now:
LEFLORE COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) – Sixteen people are dead following a military airplane crash in Mississippi, according to LeFlore County EMA Director Fred Randal
First responders said the military C-130 left Memphis on Monday.
The plane crashed in Leflore County just off Highway 82 on Monday afternoon.
The plane is believed to have exploded in mid-air. Investigators said they found debris on both sides of the highway, leading them to believe an explosion happened prior to the crash.
A Mississippi State Trooper said the plane is loaded with ammunition, causing emergency workers to have to keep their distance.
“There’s a lot of ammo in the plane. That’s why we are keeping so far back. We just don’t know what it’ll do. It burns a bit then goes out, burns a little more then dies down,” the trooper told WMC Action News 5 crews.
The United States Marine Corps confirmed the aircraft was a Marine aircraft.
The Marine Corps ordered 79 new variants of the KC-130 from Lockheed Martin years ago, but only 48 of them have been delivered. It’s unknown if the aircraft that exploded was a newer version or one that was slated for retirement.
The Marine Corps tweeted out that a “mishap” had taken place.
Ammunition inside of the plane was going off due to the fire which hampered rescue efforts. Local news caught footage of the tragedy as it unfolded.
The FBI is investigating, and more victims may be found according to Fox News.
The FBI has reportedly joined local and state agencies to investigate what caused a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130 to corkscrew out of the sky and into a soybean field in Mississippi, killing at least 16.
The search for additional victims is continuing. The Marine Corps said the aircraft “experienced a mishap.” The plane spiraled down at about 4 p.m. in a field about 85 miles north of Jackson. The plane’s debris were scattered in a radius of about five miles.
Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks told The Associated Press that officials were still searching for bodies after nightfall.
“We’re still searching the area,” Banks said. “It’s hard to find bodies in the dark.”
Banks earlier told the Greenwood Commonwealth that 16 people were believed to be on board but would not confirm that information to the AP.
The Marine Corps says it operated the plane but has provided no information on where the flight originated or where it was going.
Alan Hammons, an official at Greenwood Airport, told WNCN that the aircraft suffered a “structural failure” at 20,000 feet. The Clarion Ledger reported that the plane departed from Naval Support Activity Mid-South Base in Millington, Tenn.
An intense fire fed by jet fuel hampered firefighters, causing them to turn to unmanned devices in an attempt to control the flames, authorities said. There were several high-intensity explosions.
Investigators on the ground said that the debris field was spread out which led them to believe the plane exploded in midair.
Investigators said they found debris on both sides of Highway 82 in LeFlore County, which has led them to believe that an explosion caused the crash, WLBT reported.
However, nothing has been determined as the investigation into what happened is just beginning.
LeFlore County deputy coroner Will Gnemi told the Clarion-Ledger that the crash site is a very rural area, and that they are searching in a field with tall vegetation for more bodies.