An F-16 fighter jet smashed into a small plane Tuesday over South Carolina, killing two people and raining down plane parts and debris over a wide swath of marshes and rice fields. The St Joseph News Press reports the deceased were related to two recent homicide victims in St Joe.
The two people aboard the smaller Cessna were killed, and the plane was completely destroyed.
The Berkeley County, South Carolina Coroner has confirmed the identities of the two people on board the Cessna that collided in mid-air with an F-16.
Michael Johnson, 68, and his son, Joseph Johnson, 30, were killed in the collision just after 11am Tuesday. Joseph Johnson was piloting the plane, and last night, his uncle told local reporters that he was hoping to become a commercial pilot. The uncle says the two were flying to Myrtle Beach, and then cross-country, to log the training hours Joe needed.
The pilot of the F-16 ejected and “is apparently uninjured,” according to National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson. The NTSB is investigating the cause.
A press release from Shaw Air Force Base said the pilot, Maj. Aaron Johnson from the 55th Fighter Squadron, was taken to Joint Base Charleston’s medical clinic for observation.
According to Berkeley County Coroner Bill Salisbury, a witness saw the military plane broadside the Cessna. Officials said during a news conference that most of the debris was in a marshy area, including a rice field.
It wasn’t clear if a flight plan had been filed, but Berkeley County officials say the civilian pilot had indicated he was traveling to Myrtle Beach. Officials in South Carolina were expected to release the names of the victims Wednesday. The News Press quotes other family members who identified the victims as the brother and nephew of James Johnson, the 72-year-old man found fatally shot along with his wife Beverly on Saturday.
A 16-year-old suspect charged in the double shooting will remain in custody until a judge can decide if the suspect should be tried as an adult. (Click here for more)