[pct-l] Marine helicopter near PCT in Section A

[Brick Robbins]

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/may/06/bn06crash071213/

Marine Cobra helicopter crash kills two in East County
By Debbi Baker Union-Tribune Staff Writer

EAST COUNTY — Two pilots were killed when a Marine AH-1W Super Cobra
helicopter carrying live ordnance crashed in a remote area of
Cleveland National Forest, about six miles east of Pine Valley, on
Tuesday night.

The crash sparked a brush fire that is still burning, but it poses no
threat to any structures.

On Wednesday morning, firefighters were ordered to stay back due to
unexploded munitions, said Brian Rhodes, a U.S. Forest Service
battalion chief.

The helicopter, from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing based at Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station, went down about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday night,
said Marine Maj. Jay de la Rosa. The squadron was training with the
11th Marine Expeditionary Unit out of Camp Pendleton and is scheduled
to deploy this fall to the Western Pacific.

The helicopter, which was flying with at least one other aircraft,
took off from an airfield in El Centro about 30 to 40 minutes before
the crash, officials said.

Firefighters were called to the crash site, about two miles north of
Interstate 8 near Kitchen Creek Road, after someone called to report
that he heard a large explosion and saw a fire, Rhodes said. That man
later told officials he heard a second large explosion about 30
minutes later.

When firefighters arrived, they saw a military helicopter circling
overhead, Rhodes said. About the same time, they received a call from
the military that said an aircraft was missing, the chief said. It
crashed in a remote location off a trail accessible only by
four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Firefighters have set up a staging area at Cibbets Flats campground.
The fire has burned about 2 acres, with several smoldering hot spots,
said Acree Shreve, a U.S Forest Service division chief.

Several unexploded weapons are scattered over a large area covered by
brush and surrounded by spot fires, Shreve said. This poses a problem
to firefighters, who are trying to extinguish the flames, and military
investigators, who are trying to access the site to conduct an
investigation.

“It's an extreme hazard mixed in with a small fire,” Shreve said.

The helicopter was carrying several rockets, which are 2.75 inches in
diameter, the chief said.

The pilots were highly skilled and “at the top of their game,” De la
Rosa said. He said his heart and prayers go out to the families of the
crew members.

“This is a horrible loss,” the major said.

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the crash and
have not said if the pilots made any distress calls prior to the
crash.

The identities of the pilots have not been released.