F-35 Marine jet crushes in South Carolina

MILITARY

F-35 Marine jet crushes in South Carolina

The US military suffered Friday the first crash of an F-35 aircraft in 17 years of existence of the program of high-flying hunters.

The Marine Corps F-35 variant, known as the F-35B Lightning II, crashed at 11.45 am on Friday at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Base in South Carolina. the Marine Corps. The service did not give any presumed cause to the accident, claiming that the incident remained under investigation.

"The US Navy pilot safely ejected the single-seater aircraft and is currently being assessed by medical personnel," said the Marines in a statement. "There was no civilian injury."

The aircraft, which cost more than $ 100 million, belonged to 501 Maritime Fighter Attack Training Squadron, which trains marine pilots in combat with the F-35.

In the past, the F-35 jet aircraft had made emergency landings, had had in-flight incidents, including oxygen depletion among crews, and engine and engine fires. other ground faults. But this is the first time the army has crashed an F-35 involving the ejection of a pilot.

A US military official, on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said the Marine Corps initially classified the crash as a Class A incident, defined as an incident resulting in the complete destruction of the aircraft. aircraft million dollars in damage or death or permanent total disability of the crew.

The Marines reported that they were working with the South Carolina authorities to secure the crash site around the F-35 and ensure the safety of all nearby personnel.

– Paul Sonne

TENNESSEE

An airline executive, the Memphis chief killed by bullet

A city executive and former executive of the airline was alone when he was shot dead in downtown Memphis, and the authorities are investigating whether he was killed in a robbery or as part of a robbery. from a personal vendetta.

Later in the day, police arrested two people who were in a truck matching the description of a vehicle related to the shooting, but they were not charged with the murder.

Philip Trenary, President and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, was shot dead around 8 pm Thursday, South Front Street, said Memphis police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph. Trenary was shot near the place where the chamber held its annual "Move It Memphis" race, near a large apartment complex and not far from the historic Beale Street.

Police have called for help in locating a suspect described as a black man with dreadlocks, wearing a blue shirt and driving a four-door white Ford F150.

Trenary, 64, founded Exec Express Airlines in Stillwater, Okla., In 1984. The company moved to Texas and was renamed Lone Star Airlines in 1987. Trenary came to Memphis in 1997 to manage a company. regional airline which has been transformed into Pinnacle. He left Pinnacle in 2011.

– Associated Press

FLORIDA

Kangaroo temporarily left the shrine

Seven Florida wildlife officers have temporarily removed seven kangaroos from a sanctuary where a 5-year-old kangaroo escaped earlier this week.

Wildlife officials said Friday they discovered "deficiencies" in kangaroo pens in a Jupiter, Florida home and transferred them to an authorized, undisclosed facility.

The Palm Beach Post reported that the sanctuary had been last inspected in 2016 and that it was code compliant. A spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that its owner, Eric Westergard, was working to solve the fence and caging issues.

The missing kangaroo, Storm, was found Thursday, three days after his departure from Westergard's home. The officers used drones and a K-9 to find Storm.

– Associated Press