- AWOL helicopter found, California mountains
- Five Marines’ status unknown
- Rescue operations underway
A US military official has reported the location of an AWOL Marine helicopter in the California mountains.
The status of the five Marines, who were “reported overdue,” is still unknown, though rescue operations are underway, as stated by officials.
On Wednesday morning, the Marines were heading to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego for a training mission.
The CH-53E Super Stallion, which had gone AWOL, was found approximately 45 miles from its intended destination.
The Marine Corps has identified the missing Marines as part of the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, based in Miramar and belonging to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
A Marine Corps spokesperson mentioned that further information on the whereabouts of the five Marines aboard the flight from Las Vegas to Miramar would be provided soon.
The aircraft’s disappearance was reported to fire departments on Wednesday at 02:20 local time (10:20 GMT). Crews were directed to the area around Lake Morena, California, and after several hours, the aircraft was located in Pine Valley, less than 15 miles (24 km) away.
In a statement, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing mentioned that rescue efforts to locate the personnel were coordinated with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and various federal, state, and local agencies, using aviation and ground resources.
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Super Stallion Challenges and Tragedies
Officials have noted that the search efforts have been hindered by heavy snowfall and wintry conditions in the area. The incident occurred after a winter storm that deposited several inches of snow on mountains and severe rains.
Marine Corps aviation relies on the 1981-introduced CH-53E Super Stallion for transportation. It can carry 37 passengers in its standard configuration.
This helicopter is also operated by the navies of the United States and Japan and can be used for carrying supplies and engaging in combat besides transporting troops.
However, the Marine Corps’ Super Stallions have a checkered safety record, with several significant incidents in recent years.
A Super Stallion crash near El Centro, California, during a training operation in April 2018 killed four soldiers.
In January 2016, twelve Marines died when two Super Stallions collided over the Pacific near Oahu, Hawaii.
Moreover, this is not the first accident to occur in the California mountains recently.
A Marine Corps pilot perished in an August F/A-18 Hornet crash near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
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