Mississippi Jury Acquits Engineer in 2017 Military Plane Crash

Former military aircraft engineer cleared of lying and obstruction charges related to deadly incident.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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A federal jury in Mississippi has acquitted a former military aircraft engineer, James Michael Fisher, 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. Fisher had been accused of lying to federal agents about changes to inspection procedures, but his defense lawyer argued that someone else had cleared technicians to change how propellers were inspected while Fisher was out of the country, and that the document allowing the change played no role in the crash.

Why it matters

The 2017 military plane crash in Mississippi was one of the deadliest Marine Corps air disasters in over a decade, raising questions about maintenance procedures and oversight. The acquittal of the engineer accused of lying during the investigation highlights the complexities and challenges in determining responsibility for such tragic incidents.

The details

In 2017, a KC-130T transport plane crashed in Mississippi, killing all 16 service members on board. Investigators said a cracked and corroded propeller blade that had been installed on the plane in 2011 was the cause of the crash. In 2024, a federal grand jury indicted James Michael Fisher, the former lead propulsion engineer at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, for allegedly lying to federal agents about changes to inspection procedures during a 2021 investigation. However, Fisher's defense lawyer argued that someone else had cleared technicians to change how propellers were inspected while Fisher was out of the country, and that the document allowing the change played no role in the crash.

  • The KC-130T transport plane crashed on July 10, 2017 near Itta Bena, Mississippi.
  • Fisher was indicted by a federal grand jury in Mississippi in 2024.
  • Fisher's eight-day trial in federal court in Greenville, Mississippi concluded on March 9, 2026 with his acquittal.

The players

James Michael Fisher

A former military aircraft engineer who was the lead propulsion engineer at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex in 2011. He was accused of lying to federal agents about changes to inspection procedures during the investigation of the 2017 military plane crash, but was acquitted by a jury.

Steve Farese

The defense lawyer for James Michael Fisher, who argued that someone else had cleared technicians to change how propellers were inspected while Fisher was out of the country, and that the document allowing the change played no role in the 2017 crash.

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What they’re saying

“Nobody did it intentionally. As one witness said, there were 10 different ways for that blade to have through inspection and be missed or put back in the system accidentally. There were 10 different ways it could have happened. So there was no clarity in the trial as to exactly what did happen.”

— Steve Farese, Defense lawyer (The Associated Press)

The takeaway

This case highlights the complexities and challenges in determining responsibility for tragic military incidents, where multiple factors and oversights can contribute to devastating outcomes. The acquittal of the engineer accused of lying during the investigation underscores the importance of thorough and impartial investigations to uncover the true causes and prevent similar disasters in the future.