At least 16 people killed after Marine Corps KC-130 aircraft explodes at 20,000 feet & crashes in Mississippi soybean field

Alan Hammons, an official with the nearby Greenwood Airport, told CBS affiliate WNBD-D1 the plane was being tracked by air traffic controllers in Memphis and suffered a structural failure at 20,000 feet around 4pm.

Initial findings suggest that the plane suddenly exploded mid-air. Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns said in a statement that a KC-130 ‘experienced a mishap’ Monday evening but provided no details.

The crew and passengers, which consisted of 15 Marines and one Navy Corpsman, were all killed.