9 feared dead in mid-air collision ( 50 miles off coast near San Diego )

CBC News ^ | Friday, October 30, 2009 | 3:50 PM ET | Donald Knowles Associated Press

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Investigators are trying to determine why a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 airplane and a U.S. Marine Corps attack helicopter collided on Thursday night, likely killing nine crew members.

Aircraft and ships are scouring the ocean off San Diego for any signs of survivors of the nighttime collision, but Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the crash likely killed both the plane's seven crew members and the two-person crew of the AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the crash occurred minutes after control of the C-130 was handed off from FAA controllers to military air controllers.

[uncitizen]

How many military plane or helicopter crashes have there been in the last couple weeks? Seems like at least 3.

[2111USMC]

“Coast Guard Holds Briefing On Midair Collision”

SAN DIEGO — The Coast guard will hold a press briefing Sunday morning on the nine people missing and feared dead following a midair collision between a Marine Corps light attack helicopter and a U.S. Coast Guard transport plane over the Pacific Ocean.

Military officials released the names of the missing personnel Saturday. The Marine Corps chopper, part of Marine Aircraft Group 39 based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, was piloted by Maj. Samuel Leigh, 35, of Kennebec, Maine. The co-pilot was 1st Lt. Thomas Claiborne, 26, of Douglas, Colo.

The missing Coast Guard plane and the personnel who had been aboard it were from USCG Air Station Sacramento. The pilot of the Coast Guard plane was Lt. Cmdr. Che J. Barnes, 35, of Capay, a small town in Yolo County. The plane was co-piloted by Lt. Adam W.Bryant, 28, of Crewe, Va. Also onboard were: Chief Petty Officer John F. Seidman, 43, Stockton; Petty Officer 2nd Class Carl P. Grigonis, 35, Mayfield Heights, Ohio; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason S. Moletzsky, 26, Norristown, Pa.; Petty Officer 3rd Class Danny R. Kreder II, 22, Elm Mott, Texas; and Petty Officer 2nd Class Monica L. Beacham, 29, Decaturville, Tenn.

-SNIP-

http://www.10news.com/news/21472086/detail.html

[TXnMA]

Duh! Thanks for the reminder!

[LSUfan]

Rumor going around that the incident was caused when a fishing vessel shined a high intensity searchlight at the Cobra. The aviators were wearing night vision goggles and were essentially blinded. They then flew into the C-130, which was part of a SAR exercise.