Around 7 p.m. Wednesday a Pearl resident was shocked when she saw airplane parts bounce from the street and into her yard.
Rankin County and Pearl PD officials were called to the scene to investigate what appeared to be the nose of an aircraft that was in the woman’s yard.
But, officials tell us the part is a tail cone from a C-17 Globemaster III military aircraft.
A statement from the Departments of the Army and Air Force said the aircraft was assigned to Flowood’s 172nd Airlift Wing (MS Air National Guard) and it lost a small plane attachment during routine local training operations.
The statement also said the C-17 landed safely at the 172nd AW. No injuries were reported.
We were told the cone is made of fiberglass.
The witness, Wynita Smith, told our crew she was heading to church when she saw an airplane flying low and then she saw the very large part fall.
“I heard this loud boom. I didn’t know what it was. Then I heard a loud sound behind me like something fell and I looked and the nose had hit the highway. Well it was gone at that point then it landed in the yard,” Smith explained.
The statement further said the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. The platform commonly performs strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world.
Additional roles include tactical airlift, medical evacuation and airdrop duties.
The incident is currently under investigation.
