A U.S. military jet crashed after colliding with an aircraft while refueling Tuesday in California, the Marine Corps announced.
The Marine Corps F-35B jet collided with a KC-130J tanker during an air-to-air refueling operation and crashed at approximately 4 p.m., the military said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Nine people were on the tanker and were reported safe, according to the Marine Corps. (RELATED:F-22 Fighter Jet Crashes On Route Mission In Florida)
“The pilot of the F-35B ejected successfully and is currently being treated,” a Marine Corps spokesman told the DCNF in the statement.
The F-35’s pilot and co-pilot ejected out of the aircraft before crashing in Thermal, California, the emergency dispatch radio personnel reported, according to Fox News.
Nine people are safe after a military cargo plane clipped a fighter plane mid-air above Thermal Tuesday afternoon. https://t.co/4NbkTcX07H
— KESQ News Channel 3 (@KESQ) September 30, 2020
#BREAKING A plane made an emergency landing in a farm field in Thermal just East if the airport. Early reports of 8 on board. It reportedly clipped another plane mid-air. We are live in scene wirh the early details. @KESQ pic.twitter.com/b4rDWJgoat
— Jake Ingrassia (@JakeKESQ) September 30, 2020
“The official cause of the crash is currently under investigation,” the military spokesperson said in the statement. “Updates will be provided as information becomes available,” the spokesperson said.
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