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USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 2:14 am
by Gary
We have an update from our colleagues at the United States Marine Corps:
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.
For additional information, please call the office of Communication Strategy and Operations at (928) 269-5728 or email
MCASYuma_media@usmc.mil.
https://www.facebook.com/NAFEC/
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 2:19 am
by Gary
Marine F-35B Crashes After Collision With KC-130 Over California; All Aircrew Recovered Safely
By: Sam LaGrone
September 29, 2020 9:34 PM
A Marine F-35B aircraft has crashed near Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif. following an air collision with a KC-130J, defense officials confirmed to USNI News.
At approximately 4 p.m. local time, “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,” read a statement from Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Joseph Butterfield to USNI News.
“The KC-130J is on deck in the vicinity of Thermal Airport. All crew members of the KC-130J have been reported safe.”
The KC-130, often used as an aerial refueler for Marine aviation, made an emergency landing near the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Therma, Calif., according to photos published by KESQ Channel 3.
In 2018, an F-35B went down outside of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina. The pilot was recovered safely. In 2019, a Japanese F-35A crashed off the coast of Japan.
The following is the complete statement from the Marine Corps.
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.
https://news.usni.org/2020/09/29/marine ... red-safely
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:48 am
by paddyboy
Thank goodness they all survived
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:44 am
by Bucky P
That's the KC130 that visited Marham a month ago!
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:50 am
by ColintheCaterpillar
Glad everyone is safe. It’ll be interesting to see how it happened, and where it made contact; receivers hitting tankers historically often isn’t favourable for the tanker crews.
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:56 am
by ColintheCaterpillar
Just seen the front on view. Hard to tell how much damage was caused in the forced landing of the ‘130, but a lot of damage to engines 3 & 4, and a blade missing on engine 1.
Very very lucky.
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:08 am
by Alf
ColintheCaterpillar wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:56 am
Just seen the front on view. Hard to tell how much damage was caused in the forced landing of the ‘130, but a lot of damage to engines 3 & 4, and a blade missing on engine 1.
Very very lucky.
166765/QB is shown in a news article for the KC-130J.. its says it landed in a field… another says it landed near Thermal airport..
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:55 am
by Canberra TT.18
https://www.scramble.nl/military-news/u ... cy-landing
More pictures here.
Clearly in a field. And some heavy damage to three engines.
Not want to speculate but this is 2nd incident/accident with KC-130J with a fighter in 2 years. (Other near Iwakuni Japan). And can't recall any incidents in the years before but my memory might be not that good.
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:06 am
by andygolfer
Bucky P wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:44 am
That's the KC130 that visited Marham a month ago!
it was also at Mildenhall in mid September....
16-6765 KC.130J US Marines VMGR-352 mildehall 14-09-2020 1547 by
Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr
good new that all concerned are safe
Andy
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:20 am
by iainpeden
There'll be an air force cross (or whatever the US equivalent is) for the Herc pilot.
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:23 am
by Thunder
Wheels up landing as well by the looks of it. Interesting to see that the hose drum unit on the starboard wing is still there but the aux fuel tank is totally destroyed, but it’s the opposite way round on the port wing. Very lucky for both crews.
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:34 am
by Thunder
No the drum units are separate from the aux tanks. I would hazard a guess that a flapping trailing hose caused that kind of damage.
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:35 am
by Starbuck
Never noticed the drum unit missing on the left wing, you can see I guess fuel pouring out, maybe the left wing dipped into the ground upon the belly landing.
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:37 am
by Starbuck
The drive has the comms audio from ATC, Raider says they had a mid air collision, could that have caused all the damage around the right wing and engines 3 & 4?
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/3 ... h-an-f-35b
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:38 am
by ColintheCaterpillar
Thunder wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:34 am
No the drum units are separate from the aux tanks. I would hazard a guess that a flapping trailing hose caused that kind of damage.
If you see the head on photo the port AAR pod is sat in the field, so it could be that the damage that side was on landing.
The starboard side is a mess, and as you say, the damage to the tank and the engines, without damage to the pod.
Not sure how a hose could bend that far forward in the slipstream to cause that.
If it is the right hand side it will be even more interesting to see the full details in due course. A little theory of mine that most accidents with tankers happen on that side. We shall wait and see.
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:40 am
by fiann21
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:42 am
by Thunder
On the KC-130 are both drum units deployed at the same time or can they be independently controlled?
I can’t see the port unit in the picture??
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:45 am
by ColintheCaterpillar
Thunder wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:42 am
On the KC-130 are both drum units deployed at the same time or can they be independently controlled?
I can’t see the port unit in the picture??
If you can find the head on picture it is roughly in line with the port wingtip, but quite some way behind.
The pods/hoses are controlled independently.
The nature of their design, assembly and occasionally temperamental behaviour means you have to be able to do this. Same with controlling fuel flow etc.
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:02 am
by Thunder
Thanks for clarifying the hose operation. Can’t find that photo though.
Re: USMC F-35B down in the US
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:17 am
by Starbuck
A better head on shot and you can see the left wing hose pod in the field.
https://twitter.com/AndyNetherwood/stat ... 62/photo/1