A video recording shows the moment that a United States Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet collided with a refueling plane in California, resulting in a crash into a ball of fire on the ground. Fortunately, the aerial tanker was able to land safely after the incident.
Horrific mid-air collision
The F-35B jet pilot was able to eject before his plane crashed into the ground and was later treated by medical experts. The collision with the KC-130J aerial tanker during the air-to-air refueling maneuver was conducted in a military operations area in Imperial County.
According to the New York Post, a statement by the Marine Corps wrote that the KC-130J was on deck within the vicinity of the Thermal Airport. It noted that all crew members of the aerial tanker were reported to be safe.
A recording of the communications of air traffic control revealed the horrifying moment that the two aircraft collided, clipping the wings of the F-35B, causing the smaller plane to crash into flames.
LiveATC.net posted a recording of the incident where it could be heard that the pilot of the refueling plane is saying, "LA Center, LA Center, Raider 50 declaring an emergency mid-air collision with Volt 93. We have two engines out, we're leaking fuel, and likely on fire, and in emergency descent at this time."
The pilot of the KC-130J added that while they were declaring an emergency due to the collision with the F-35B, they still had partial control of their aircraft, adding they had two engines out of commission.
A similar incident
Earlier this week, a Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet is believed to have been shot down by another aircraft during military exercises, said that TASS news agency on Wednesday, as reported by The Moscow Times.
The plane was conducting a routine training mission controlled by two pilots before the devastating crash near a village in the Tver region of the country. Before the plane hit the ground, the pilots were able to eject themselves to safety and later picked up by a search and rescue helicopter.
An unnamed source from within the regional emergency services told the news agency that the preliminary cause of the incident is a missile that hit the Su-30 accidentally during the exercises. They added the projectile was launched by another aircraft.
The Defense Blog military news website reported previously that a Su-35 fighter jet was the culprit for firing the missile against the Su-30, while citing unnamed sources.
The TASS news agency said that the pilots of the downed aircraft were in stable condition after the incident.
According to the Defence Blog, the September 22 crash saw the Su-30 impact and its pilots ejecting for their lives. It noted the two crew members made contact with each other after landing on the ground.
Authorities successfully located the pilots and transported them to their airbase, where they were treated and attended to. Officials added that the area the jet crashed into was a forest area, adding no damage on the ground was recorded.
