16 service members killed in Marine Corps plane crash in Mississippi

Sixteen service members on board a KC-130 aircraft tragically lost their lives July 10, 2017 when their U.S. Marine Corps transport plane crashed into a field in Mississippi. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The Marines did not publicly disclose the crew’s mission or destination, but stated that the plane took off from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina before it vanished from air traffic control radar over Mississippi, according to news reports. The wreckage was found in Leflore County, roughly 100 miles north of Jackson. The victims were not immediately identified after the crash.

In a statement released after the tragedy, the Marines stated, "While the details of the incident are being investigated, our focus remains on providing the necessary resources and support to the family and friends of these service members as they go through this extremely difficult time.”

KC-130 aircrafts are often used by the military to refuel other planes in the air and to carry cargo. 

“Our thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of these service members,” said Motley Rice aviation lawyer Mary Schiavo. “The loss of the entire crew is not only a tremendous loss to their families but also to our nation and those they defend here and abroad.”

Motley Rice aviation attorneys have experience with military plane crashes and other aviation disasters. Aviation attorney Mary Schiavo, a former U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General, is a CNN transportation and aviation analyst, and attorney Jim Brauchle is a former U.S. Air Force navigator.