UPDATE: Military Plane That Crashed in Mississippi Was Based Out of Stewart
Update: ABC7 NY is reporting that some of the Marines killed in the crash were from Newburgh. We will keep you updated as news comes in regarding this story.
A Marine Corps KC-130 plane crashed yesterday in Mississippi, killing 15 Marines and one Navy corpsman on board.
According to CNN, the aircraft crashed in Leflore County in western Mississippi around 4pm central time Monday afternoon, July 10. The KC-130, which was carrying 16 passengers and cargo as well, is used as a aerial refueling craft that refuels other military planes and transports troops and their equipment.
The particular KC-130 military aircraft was based out of a Marine Corps Forces Reserve aerial refueling and transport squadron at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh.
The plane was flying from Cherry Point, North Carolina to the Naval Air Facility El Centro in California. As reported through CNN from a press release from the Marines, there is no confirmation yet on what caused the crash.
President Donald J. Trump took to twitter this morning to send his condolences to all the families effected by this horrible tragedy.
This afternoon, Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus released a statement reacting to news of the crash stating:
"Orange County mourns the loss of the Marines and the sailor whose lives have been tragically cut short. Members of the military put their lives on the line every day and this accident underscores the dangers and risks that they face. The service members that were lost are true heroes and we extend our deepest condolences to their families."