What happened
During a night-time aerial refueling mission over the Pacific Ocean, a KC-130 Hercules operated by Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 collided with a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The aircraft, flying under the callsign 'Sumo 41', had departed from Iwakuni Airport to conduct refueling operations. Following the impact, both aircraft lost control and descended into the sea, eventually crashing approximately 200 miles from Muroto Cape, Japan.
Search and rescue operations were initiated immediately following the incident. After two days of searching the area, the United States Marine Corps reported that two Marines had been recovered from the wreckage. Of those recovered, one individual was reported to be in fair condition, while the other was confirmed deceased. The remaining five crew members from the KC-130 Hercules remained missing following the initial search efforts and are presumed dead.
Findings
- The collision occurred during a night-time refueling operation.
- The incident resulted in one fatality and one injury among the recovered personnel, with five crew members from the tanker presumed lost.