The FBI has joined the investigation for a cause in the KC-130 Marine plane crash in Mississippi.
That news comes after local news reports that the ammo-carrying aircraft may have suffered a “mid-air” explosion, corkscrewing to earth. That was not confirmed, however, as the crash cause remained under investigation.
At least 16 people – 15 U.S. Marines and one sailor – died in the tragedy when the plane crashed into a soybean field in the Mississippi Delta area near Greenwood. The smoking wreckage burned in the field as rescuers searched in vain for survivors.
The FBI’s involvement doesn’t necessarily mean that foul play or even something like terrorism is expected. “The FBI reportedly has joined local and state agencies to investigate what caused a U.S. military plane to corkscrew out of the sky,” Fox News reported.
BREAKING: Marines KC-130 plane Crashes in Mississippi Killing at Least 16 – t.co/5WmvT1o3uA
In a 2015 plane crash of a US C-130 cargo plane in Afghanistan – which killed 14 people – the cause ended up being “the misuse of a night-vision goggles case that the pilot had placed in front of the cockpit yoke while the plane was on the ground,” reported CNN.
However, there were reports that the plane might have exploded in mid-air.
“The plane is believed to have exploded in mid-air. Investigators said they found debris on both sides of the highway, leading them to believe an explosion happened prior to the crash,” WMC Action News reported, which added that the plane was carrying ammo.
Alan Hammons, a Mississippi airport official, told WNBD that “the plane was being tracked by air traffic controllers in Memphis and suffered a structural failure at 20,000 feet that caused it to plunge into the field.”
On the scene where a C-130 crashed in LeFlore County, Miss.
President Donald Trump offered condolences, “”Marine Plane crash in Mississippi is heartbreaking. Melania and I send our deepest condolences to all!”
The names of the victims have not yet been released. Photos and videos captured a dramatic scene, as the flattened plane lay shattered in a soybean field near Greenwood, Mississippi.
You can read more about the KC-130 crash here:
