US EditionMississippi jury acquits engineer accused of lying about 2017 military plane crash
James Michael Fisher was acquitted of false statement and obstruction charges after a federal jury trial in Greenville, ending nearly a decade of legal proceedings on a crash that killed 16 service members.
- On Thursday, James Michael Fisher, former lead propulsion engineer, was acquitted after an eight-day trial in Greenville, Mississippi federal court.
- A federal grand jury accused Fisher of lying about about 30 inspection changes approved by engineers at the Georgia base, undermining trust, as prosecutors alleged.
- The KC-130T's fractured blade caused the aircraft to break apart, killing fifteen Marines and one Navy corpsman, with debris spread across two to three miles near Itta Bena, Mississippi.
- The military grounded some C-130s and ordered inspections after the crash, while Steve Farese, Fisher's defense lawyer, said 'Nobody did it intentionally' and blamed others for inspection changes in Brazil.
- So far, the trial has left open core questions about responsibility, as trial testimony provided no clear explanation and witnesses said there were 10 different ways the blade could have been missed.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Associated Press News
Mississippi jury acquits engineer accused of lying about 2017 military plane crash
A federal jury in Mississippi has acquitted a former military aircraft engineer of lying and obstruction of justice following a deadly 2017 military place crash.
Engineer acquitted in 2017 Marine Corps plane crash case that killed 16 in Mississippi
The plane was flying from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina to Naval Air Facility El Centro in California when it broke apart in midair and crashed near Itta Bena, Mississippi. Fifteen Marines and one U.S. Navy sailor were killed.
Yanky 72: Engineer acquitted of lying about crash
Yanky 72: Engineer acquitted of lying about crash dmonroe Tue, 03/10/2026 - 07:50 PM GREENVILLE — A jury has acquitted a former engineer overseeing military aircraft maintenance of charges of making false statements and obstructing justice during the criminal investigation of a 2017 military plane crash in Mississippi that killed all 16 service members aboard.Read more about Yanky 72: Engineer acquitted of lying about crash Read more about Yank…
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