Military aircraft collision near Salton Sea stemmed from training mission

THERMAL (CNS) - A midair collision involving a fighter jet and a military refueling aircraft during a refueling operation in the eastern Coachella Valley occurred during a training exercise that injured some crew members, military officials said Wednesday.A Lockheed Martin KC-130 and Lockheed Martin F-35 "made contact" at about 4 p.m. Tuesday at an unspecified location near Thermal, according to U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Brett Vannier, spokesman for Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Yuma, Arizona.According to Vannier, the collision occurred during a seven-week training event hosted by the Yuma-based Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One.The KC-130J made a forced landing in a field near the intersection of Avenue 59 and Polk Street in Thermal, according to the Riversid
Subscribe or log in to read the rest of this content.