California – Five Marines lost their lives when their helicopter crashed in a snow-blanketed, remote forest area on Tuesday night, according to a statement by a U.S. military spokesperson on Thursday. The CH-53E helicopter wreckage was located near Pine Valley, California, in the Cleveland National Forest, and authorities are currently investigating what caused the crash.
Read also: Severe winter weather brings snow in California, other states
The Marines were conducting a training exercise in a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter. They took off from Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas, heading towards Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. However, they were later reported missing. On Wednesday morning, around 9 a.m. PT, civil authorities discovered the helicopter in Pine Valley, which is a rugged terrain about 30 miles east of their San Diego destination, reported by the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Details on the helicopter’s condition at the time of discovery were not immediately available.
The CH-53E is designed for heavy lifting, capable of transporting up to 16 tons of cargo and is used by the U.S. Navy for moving troops and equipment. The crew members belonged to the Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, part of Marine Aircraft Group 16, according to Marines Capt. Stephanie Leguizamon. Weather conditions included gusts reaching 20 mph near Pine Valley on the evening of the crash, and radar data showed a significant band of precipitation, including rain and snow, passing over the area during the night.
The last signal from the aircraft was detected at 11:20 p.m. on Tuesday, as reported by Mike Cornette, a spokesperson for Cal Fire San Diego, on Wednesday. Over the past ten years, there have been several accidents involving Super Stallion helicopters, including at least two that resulted in fatalities. For example, in 2016, a tragic incident occurred when two CH-53E helicopters collided off the coast of Hawaii during a nighttime training exercise, leading to the deaths of 12 Marines. Military investigators later determined that the crash was caused by pilot error. Another accident in 2018 resulted in the deaths of four crew members when a Super Stallion went down during a training exercise near El Centro, California.
Read also: Sacramento law firm sues cybersecurity company over $1 million ransomware attack
In a similar incident in 2014 involving a CH-53E helicopter was seen as a fortunate escape. After a training exercise in Djibouti, the helicopter was attempting to land on an amphibious transport dock at sea and crashed, yet all 25 Marines and Navy sailors on board survived, an event often referred to as a “miracle at sea.”