Posted on 09/03/2015 5:42:53 PM PDT by 2111USMC
One U.S. Marine was killed and 11 were injured when a helicopter made a hard landing during a training exercise at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, the Marines said on Thursday.
The accident, which occurred around 9 p.m. on Wednesday with a CH-53E helicopter, is under investigation, the Marines said in a statement. A hard landing occurs when an aircraft touches down with greater force and speed than normal, typically after a particularly fast or steep descent, according to the statement.
Of the injured, two were hospitalized in stable condition. Nine were scheduled to be released after medical evaluation, the statement said.
The command said it was working to contact families of the Marines involved and that the name of the service member who was killed will not be released for 24 hours. "We want to ensure the Marines and family members of the units involved in the mishap have easy access to any help they may need after this tragic event," Captain Kendra Motz said in the statement.
It could take weeks or months to complete the investigation, the Marines said.
In March, four soldiers and seven Marines from a special operations unit from Camp Lejeune were killed when a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter plunged into waters off the Florida Panhandle during a training exercise.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
(Excerpted due to Reuters source.)
I wonder which squadron? I was a CH53E air crewman there with HMH461. We lost 15 in a MEU training exercise accident in the 90’s. Hardest funeral I ever attended.
As you were A/C, did the pilots practice autorotation under load, or with crew on board?
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464.
My squadron lost one in the Philippines in 1977. Crash killed 34 Marines.
Never did one with a load. In UH-1s, we’d have a crew chief on board. In OH-58s, it was just the pilot and the instructor pilot. Then, sometime during the 80s, I think 83 or 84, they wouldn’t let us take them to the ground anymore. We’d flair and then have to recover under power.
CH53’s are being phased out, right?
No. The Marine Corps is buying 200 CH-53K King Stallions.
I recall autos were only practiced with minimal crew (3).
I was stateside then, thats the one that went into a gas station huh, we also lost 2 that year stateside, had lots of friends aboard
No, in fact Sikorsky is introducing the “k” model, 2-3ft longer and wider, will be the heavy lift champion of the world when released
The one I’m talking about was on a hill near Mindoro Bay in the Philippines.
Thanks for looking that up Az.
Had to post and run earlier.
No problem.
Have a nice evening.
We only did crew on board. Brings back memories sarge. Most satisfying job I ever had.
They are going to a CH53K model.
Thanks for the info. I feel for those devil dogs. It’s always a shock to lose a bird...even more so when you lose friends on board.
RIP.
is that a new build or an upgrade
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