--- title: "Marine pilot awarded for harrowing landing after mid-air collision takes out two engines" description: "Captain Michael Wolff was copilot of a tanker that suffered a mid-air collission and was forced to crash-land in a California field" date: "2022-05-31" modified: "2022-05-31" authors: - name: "Max Hauptman" job_title: "Breaking News Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/max-hauptman/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-pilot-awarde-dfc-mid-air-collision-takes-out-two-engines/" categories: - "Around the World" - "Marine Corps" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "United States" --- # Marine pilot awarded for harrowing landing after mid-air collision takes out two engines ![]() *U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Michael Wolff, a KC-130J Super Hercules pilot with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), receives the Distinguished Flying Cross from Maj. Gen. Bradford J. Gering, 3rd MAW commanding general, at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, May 25, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Rachaelanne Woodward)* Two years after a mid-air collision between a Marine Corps tanker aircraft and the service’s most advanced fighter jet, both the pilot and co-pilot involved in the incident have now been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. On May 25, Capt. Michael Wolff was presented the award — the highest decoration for flying and the fourth-highest for bravery — during a ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. The other pilot involved in the collision, Maj. Cory Jones, was [awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on ]()Feb. 28. In September 2020, Wolff was co-piloting a KC-130J Super Hercules with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing when it collided with a F-35 while participating in [training]() at The Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course in Yuma, Arizona. “There wasn’t any time to comprehend what was going on or react, but I do remember just the immediate thought was: I can’t believe this is happening to me,” Jones, the tanker’s pilot, [said]() during his own award ceremony earlier this year. > [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today**]()**. Get the latest in military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily.** After the plane had lost two engines and was on fire, the crew worked to address numerous crises in the air. Jones and Wolff were able to maintain control of the tanker, which was important as the KC-130J has no ejection seats and there were only [five parachutes for the eight people]() aboard. Both of the plane’s right-side engines had been damaged and were [missing propeller blades](). The fuselage and landing gear had also been damaged and one of the plane’s external fuel tanks was on fire. The plan was to [attempt a landing]() in Thermal, California, a tiny speck of a town in the Coachella Valley about 25 miles from Palm Springs. However, the plane’s condition continued to deteriorate, and its altitude and airspeed were dropping fast. With a landing at the airfield no longer tenable, the KC-130J had to settle for a stretch of farmland. https://twitter.com/vladwlad777/status/1311402074404515846 And with that, the tanker came to rest in a dirt field, relatively unscathed, given the circumstances. All eight members of the tanker’s crew emerged unscathed, while the F-35 pilot was able to safely eject. The million-dollar jet made its landing in the middle of California’s Imperial Valley desert, which was captured on film. https://twitter.com/vladwlad777/status/1311349515300024321 “I’m thankful how everything turned out. I’m happy to be alive,” said Wolff, “I still love flying, and I was happy to get up in the air as soon as I could afterwards.” Wolff added that “everyone did their part and came together.” ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **The Army chose Sig Sauer for its next-generation rifle and** [**not everyone is happy about it**]() - **Special Operations Command finally found its** [**next-generation personal defense weapon**]() - **An Army vet bodybuilder scammed the VA out of $245,000 while claiming** [**he couldn’t even lift, bro**]() - **How nearly 900 soldiers from Maine earned —** [**and lost — the Medal of Honor**]() - **A-10 pilot explains how the Air Force can outfit the beloved** [**‘Warthog’ to take on China**]() **Want to write for Task & Purpose?** [**Click here**]()**. Or check out the latest stories on** [**our homepage.**]() ## Author Max Hauptman is a former breaking news reporter at Task & Purpose. He previously worked at The Washington Post as a Military Veterans in Journalism Fellow, as well as covering local news in New England. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Instagram]()