Posted on 01/15/2016 1:10:03 PM PST by robowombat
Two U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E helicopters have collided off Hawaii Jan 15 2016 -
By David Cenciotti The two CH-53E Super Stallions were conducting night ops off the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
The U.S. Marine Corps have just confirmed that a Search and Rescue operation is underway off Hawaiiâs Oahu after two CH-53E Super Stallions helicopters collided mid-air during night training.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, debris field was spotted less than 3 miles off the coast, near the town of Haleiwa,
Both helicopters were from MCAS Kaneohe Bay and each had six people aboard.
No further details on what caused the collision or if any survivors have been found have been released as of yet.
I read of 10 foot seas and weather worsening earlier today.
Never saw those. Neither got much input. Sad that is.
Perhaps you meant to ask what any of them were doing on December 11, 2013.
HF
Thanks
I just checked the image data for the picture and it was from January 2012. Just about four years ago.
You train like you fight, else the training is useless.
I posted a thread from a USMC Twitter feed a while back, maybe they saw that and moved this?
was told that those helos have a crew of four. So, perhaps two Recon or Seals on board?
Not sure how I missed it as I have been on most of the day.
I am a proud Papa of a Marine student aviator and all these young men feel like sons to me.
Pics on my profile.
“Like the mothership descending.”
We occasionally had the engineers pick up a downed Huey with a CH-54. Kind of like a CH-53 that has had lap-band surgery.
Prayers up. just damn...
“spotted less than 3 miles off the coast, near the town of Haleiwa,”
This was the location of the auxiliary airfield where a few fighters took off during Pearl Harbor. American kids still risking their lives there day and night, whether we always know it or not.
More likely additional squadron personnel.
There is a pretty demanding air operations schedule that Marine helo squadrons must fly in order for their helicopter pilots to stay certified on all the various aspects of military helicopter operations: night operations with NVGs, over water navigation, deck landings on amphibious ships (day/night (illuminated and NVG), etc.
In discussing this with Marine aviators (helicopter type, one each) during and after my time in the Marines, it became clear that a lot of the helo flights made during long transits to and from deployment locations was driven by the need to keep up pilot qualifications. Out of that necessity, the birds were going to be flown whether or not they had passengers in the back.
The two extra passengers might have been squadron pilots rotating with the pilot and co-pilot to log night flying hours.
CH-53s don’t crash well. Hoping for the best, but it rarely happens with this aircraft type.
Prayers up for those Marines...
Just damn...
I said this in a previous post about a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. It seems to me we have not advanced in helicopter design to make these machines more resistant to being shot down and also more survivable - maybe a way to make the passenger bay more robust that can cushion a rough landing better. It just seems a waste to lose so many good men and women in helicopter crashes.
1500 hrs out there and no word.
Lord have mercy.
I am no help with helicopters..
Active Duty ping.
Thanks JJ. Sad to see this thread languishing.
posted twice, but I keep checking to hear of any updates. Even listening to Hawaii talk radio.
http://saleminteractivemedia.com/ListenLive/Player/KHNRAM
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