---
title: "Intense video shows fiery Marine Corps F-35 crash after colliding with a C-130"
description: "Video circulating on social media appears to show the fiery crash of a Marine Corps F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in southern California following a mid-air collision with one of the service's KC-130J Hercules refueling aircraft"
date: "2020-09-30"
modified: "2020-09-30"
authors:
  - name: "Jared Keller"
    job_title: "Former Managing Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jaredkeller/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-corps-f35-crash-video/"
categories:
  - "Aircraft"
  - "Around the World"
  - "Fighter Aircraft"
  - "Marine Corps"
  - "Military Branches"
  - "News"
  - "Tech & Tactics"
  - "United States"
tags:
  - "Crash"
  - "Northern Command"
  - "video"
---

# Intense video shows fiery Marine Corps F-35 crash after colliding with a C-130

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-09-30-at-23426-pm.png>)

A video circulating on social media appears to show the fiery crash of a Marine Corps F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in southern California following a mid-air collision with one of the service's KC-130J Hercules refueling aircraft.

Miraculously, all involved survived the incident.

The video, [first reported](<https://www.twz.com/36826/video-emerges-of-marine-f-35b-crashing-in-a-ball-of-fire-after-colliding-with-a-kc-130j?fbclid=IwAR3b40r_DPdf02Yh2B1thbr0OFnsL0u7DMadbbD7t1OZJDwxQ_-mT9FGu_E>) by our friends at The War Zone, was taken by observers on the ground and shows the aircraft plummeting to the earth followed by a massive fireball:

https://twitter.com/vladwlad777/status/1311349515300024321

The F-35B pilot was able to eject successfully and is currently undergoing treatment for unspecific injuries, a Marine Corps spokesman told Military.com.

[According](<https://twitter.com/3rdmaw/status/1311111103544401923>) to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the KC-130J made an emergency landing close to nearby Thermal Airport, where an unspecified number of crew members are undergoing treatment for "mild injuries."

https://twitter.com/fighterpics/status/1311220434680066048

The Class A mishap, the Marine Corps's third this year, is currently under investigation, Military.com reports.

The Marine Corps's F-35 variant currently costs [just over $100 million](<https://www.f35.com/about/cost>) per aircraft.

***Related: Marine Corps F-35 crashes after colliding with C-130 during refueling exercise***

## Author
Jared Keller is the former managing editor of Task & Purpose. His writing has appeared in Aeon, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the New Republic, Pacific Standard, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post, among other publications.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/jaredbkeller>)  
[Facebook](<https://www.facebook.com/jaredbkeller>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredbkeller/>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/jaredbkelller/>)