BREAKING NEWS: ‘Pilot of F-35 fighter jet parachutes to safety after colliding with a C-130 Hercules aircraft which was forced to make an emergency landing in a field in remote area of California’
- An F-35 fighter jet has crashed in Imperial County, California after colliding with a C130 Hercules aircraft on Monday afternoon
- The F-35 jet ended up crashing into the ground and burst into flames
- It’s believed the pilot managed to escape and parachute to safety
- C130 ended up making an emergency landing in a field near Thermal, California
A fighter jet has crashed in while another military aircraft has been forced to make an emergency landing in a field after the pair collided with one another in a remote part of southern California.
A C-130 Hercules aircraft was pictured sitting in a field in Imperial County in the southwest portion of the state, while an F-35 fighter jet ended up crashing into the ground shortly after the collision.
Eye witnesses have been reporting on Twitter that several crew members managed to parachute out of both aircraft before hitting the ground.
One eye witness described the F-35 fighter aircraft as being ‘fully engulfed’ in flames by the time it impacted the ground. A Blackhawk helicopter is now on scene searching for survivors of the crash.
It’s thought the pilot managed to eject.
A C-130 Hercules aircraft came down in a field near Thermal, California, just east of the airport. There were eight crew members on board.
#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
Although not officially confirmed, according to emergency personnel on scene, both the pilot and co-pilot managed to eject from the F-35 aircraft (file photo)
Numerous emergency personnel from Imperial County are now on the scene searching for the survivors.
It’s believed the pilot along with his co-pilot may have landed several miles away from the point of impact.
Shortly after news broke about the fighter crash, it was revealed that a massive C-130 Hercules plane used to transport military equipment including helicopters, landed in a field near the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal, California
A statement was released by the Naval Air Base shortly after 5:15pm PDT.
‘We were alerted to the fact that there is a report of a downed military aircraft in the vicinity of the Salton Sea. We are coordinating with the FAA, Imperial County Agencies, and CHP to determine the details. We are aware that military helicopters flying in the area are assisting at the moment.’
Imperial County is located about two hours drive east of San Diego.
Imperial County is located about two hours drive east of San Diego
A military aircraft has crashed in Imperial County in southwestern California. A Blackhawk helicopter is now on scene searching for survivors of the crash