Midair Collision of Two Military Helicopters Claims 7 U.S. Marines
Seven United States Marines were killed on Wednesday night when two military helicopters collided over the California/Arizona border. According to Maureen Dooley, a lieutenant and spokeswoman for the Marine Corps, said that crash happened during routine training near the Yuma Marine Corps Air Station.
The two helicopters involved in the crash were a “Huey” UH-1Y and a “Super Cobra” AG-1W. The “Huey” is a utility helicopter and the “Super Cobra” is an attack helicopter. Both helicopters are attached to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is based out of California’s Camp Pendleton.
Six of the dead were Marines from Camp Pendleton and the other was from Yuma. The collision is under investigation by the Marine Corp and Dooley said that until it is complete, there cannot be any assumptions made.
All of the Marines on board the helicopters were getting ready for a deployment to Afghanistan. The identies of the Marines who died have not been released because the military is still notifying their next of kin and families.
It’s not known exactly where the crash occurred. There have been some conflicting reports, with military officials saying that it happened at a training range that Yuma uses. Later, the crash was said to have occurred just right outside the Marine Air Base. According to the governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, the crash happened in the Chocolate Mountains in California.
The two helicopters have been used for decades for a wide range of tasks. The “Super Cobra” has been considered the “backbone” of the attack helicopter fleet for the Marine Corp. The Marine Corps Air Station Yuma has around 4,000 Marines and sailors stationed there. It covers more than five square miles and is responsible for about 80 percent of the air-to-ground training for the Marine Corps.
