Dec. 5 (UPI) — Two U.S. military planes crashed in the air during a training mission off Japan’s coast Thursday morning with one Marine rescued, the U.S. Marines Corps said.
While refueling in the air, a two-seater F/A-18D Hornet and a KC-130J tanker with five aboard crashed about 200 miles off Iwakuni, Japan, at 2 a.m., the USMC said in a news release.
Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel were conducting search and rescue efforts, and rescued one of the seven Marine Corps personnel alive, III Marine Expeditionary Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Kelly Frushour told USNI News.
Both aircraft, which are manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, left from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.
The USMC said circumstances of the collision are under investigation.
