KC-130 'on fire' before MS crash

GREENWOOD, Miss. - The Marine Corps KC-130T transport airplane that crashed in the Mississippi Delta killing 16 Marine special operations active duty and reservists, and a Navy hospital corpsman on July 10, apparently experienced a high altitude emergency, which may bolster witness accounts that it exploded in flight. The crash left two debris fields a mile apart, Brig. Gen. Bradley S. James, commander of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing of the Marine Forces Reserve, said July 12. There were two impact areas – a half-mile north and a half-mile south of U.S. Highway 82 in Leflore County. The transport was en route from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., to Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif. The personnel were scheduled to fly on to Yuma, Ariz. The crash site was in two soybean fields between Itta Bena and Moorhead, Miss. Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks said several witnesses saw the aircraft before it crashed. “They are saying it was on fire,” the sheriff said. The aircraft bore registration number 165000 and nicknamed “Triple Nuts” for the three zeros. It belonged to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 452, a Reserve unit based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y. Six of those killed were special operations forces of the 2nd Marine Battalion out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. The corpsman was assigned to that battalion. The other nine belonged to VMGR 452, according to James. According to federal aviation records, the plane was damaged in a 2004 wind storm; and in a snow storm in 2010. As of the morning of July 13, the Pentagon had not identified any of the deceased. As of the morning of July 13, the Pentagon had not identified the deceased. (Source: NY Times 07/13/17)