Posted on 02/08/2024 9:40:27 AM PST by bitt
I call bullsh!t
I have family living there. They said there was a storm, but that no one expected it to be as severe as it turned out to be. And storms can take on lives of their own.
I live in the Midwest. Rain storms can turn deadly quite quickly, even though the forecast didn’t anticipate it.
The weather is very fickle. That’s why pilots try to avoid bad weather, and try to fly over or around it.
“I think I read about the coming storm before it hit.”
But no one predicted its severity.
It is one of the worst on record for the area, with winds up to 90 MPH.
People in charge will be canned for approving this“
Don’t bet the farm.
Pretty good discussion here regarding Marines and helicopters and this incident:
https://www.reddit.com/r/USMC/s/gxr52WUs5y
Remember every news station was reporting on the severity of the “Atmospheric River” that would bring more rain than had ever been recorded in the history of mankind!
Yet that heavy helo took off into the storm like it was a spring rain!
A fellow freeper posted that the winds from such a storm can exceed 100mph. Plus there is icing in the sierras where the chopper was headed.
Really bad decision by whoever authorized that flight. Hope they sleep soundly knowing they made the decision that killed 5 Marines!
So sad...after losing the 5 Army “Night Stalkers” in the Blackhawk that went down in the Mediterranean on our Veterans Day in November plus the loss of the 3 in the attack in Iraq week ago. Let’s hope the old adage of “comes in threes” has been completed now with no more!!!
Prayers for the families of these Marines and all those lost in the past four months. No doubt about the crash of the Marine chopper in bad wx and no excuse for the loss in the Mediterranean conducting refueling exercises AT NIGHT!!! THAT has been kept very quiet - they finally did find those remaining crew members in December but I never heard it on the news - never saw bodies brought back to Dove - only news online.
There is no doubt that had to be awfully rough - both for you at such a young age and your mom.
Weather is very unforgiving...I don’t know how many times people have to be reminded of that.
Just had a popup from KTLA (Los Angeles), route to Big Bear through the mountains is closed due to weather. Again, shouldn’t have to CLOSE a highway - people should have sense enough to STAY OFF the highway in that area. We lived in OC for years and went to the mountains occasionally but never in bad weather. The roads were bad enough without taking on bad weather. I did not like the roads up the mountains - any mountains - anywhere!!
I have family in coastal CA and they were preparing for the equivalent of a hurricane last weekend.
“Prepare now’: California’s next storm may bring ‘life-threatening’ flooding Feb. 2, 2024 Atmospheric river inundates roads, forces water rescues across SoCal.”
“ Is California on high alert for a ‘potentially historic’ storm?
California girded Sunday for a “potentially historic” storm that put much of the state on high alert, with officials expecting life-threatening damage and issuing evacuation orders or warnings in parts of Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Monterey counties.”
This was no pop-up weather.
I know you are trying to make excuses for the decision to order this mission in this weather but it doesn’t apply.
Rest in peace my brothers.
“WTH was this mission so critical it had to be flown in a “ historic storm” ?”
That is a good question. I have heard that afct carriers sometimes conduct flight operations in terrible weather because during a war they will be conducting flight ops in terrible weather.
I can only imagine that would be the only reason why they were out. And in the Coast Guard there’s an old saying that is much older than the Coast Guard itself...
“A ship is safe in port, but that’s not what ships are for.”
Here is the Marine Corps subreddit if anyone has an interest in that arena:
https://www.reddit.com/r/USMC/s/CPB7zipcSS
I know a guy. He was part of an attack helicopter squadron many years back.
They were deployed to training somewhere across the pond (not England) for training.
The snow storm made the snow 🌨️🌨️🌨️ so deep they couldn’t see their targets to train the crews.
They were essentially cut off from resupply and had to eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner for about 3 weeks untill they could finally get an air drop for resupply. Must have been some other logistical screw-up as well that coincided.
All they had in abundance was something like powdered eggs or chipped beef; don’t remember.
No nobody starved of course. 😜
Yeah it would seem that bad weather operations do have to be part of training.
It’s a shame that these guys were lost.
It’s how we almost lost Brian Williams in Iraq.
According to Brian Williams...
“I know you are trying to make excuses for the decision to order this mission in this weather but it doesn’t apply.”
Nice try, Sparky.
As is common with people who have no argument, you assume facts not in evidence, jump to conclusions, and rush to judgment.
I never made any “excuse” for the flight or for its crew (however, since you are quick to manufacture excuses out of whole cloth, that suggests you and excuses are bound at the hip).
You see, Sparky, my exact comment was, “Storms can develop quickly, and can rapidly turn into something that was neither expected nor anticipated. Rotary aircraft do not handle bad weather all that well.” All that is true. Storms can quickly develop into something that was not expected or anticipated.
I have no idea what this bird’s mission was, or who ordered it; or if the crew deviated from it or disobeyed orders. And neither do you.
I merely said that weather is fickle, and can change on a dime; and that pilots generally try to fly over or around bad weather.
Get it, Sparky?
A day you will not forget, even at a young age.
AND, I agree with your WTH thoughts about this flight. It just seems our military is assisting with the take down of America and oblivious of our debt.
Yes the flight was on the squadron’s flight schedule however if as indicated it was training it would not necessarily be a critical mission in those conditions.
The CH-53 is a massive seemingly invincible aircraft, and as Miramar was home plate, get home itis could also be a factor.
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