The F/A-18s were able to land safely after “experiencing a mid-air incident” over Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms.
On Feb. 28, 2019, two U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) F/A-18s collided in mid-air over the sprawling Twentynine Palms, California, Marine training base.
The two Hornets involved in the accident are from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW).
They were both able to land safely after “experiencing a mid-air incident” over Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, 1st Lt. Fredrick D. Walker, a spokesman for 3rd MAW, told Marine Corps Times. “No personnel were injured.”
A military safety brief noted that the accident occurred while the aircraft was conducting close-air support (CAS) training. The Corps provided few details of the incident, and the extent of the damage to the two aircraft is unknown.
However, the accident was listed as a Class A mishap, which according to the U.S. Navy means that an aircraft is destroyed or sustains $2 million or more in damages.
Noteworthy the recent mid-air collision was reminiscent of the tragic and deadly collision of a KC-130 and F/A-18 off the coast of Japan in early December 2018. Six Marines perished in the crash, leaving only one survivor ― a crew member of the crashed F/A-18.
The mid-air incident over Twentynine Palms, California, is currently under investigation.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. William Waterstreet