Marine helicopter is forced to land on California beach

[webfact]

Marine helicopter is forced to land on California beach
By GILLIAN FLACCUS


Image source: Internet

SOLANA BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A huge Marine Corps helicopter made an emergency landing on a Southern California beach on Wednesday, bringing no damages or injuries but leaving an unforgettable spectacle for surrounding swimmers and sunbathers.

The CH-53E Super Stallion landed on the shore of this northern San Diego County town shortly after 11:30 a.m. after a low oil-pressure indicator light went on in the cockpit, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar said in a statement.

The 100-foot copter is twice the size of the humpback whales that sometimes wash up on surrounding shores. It crouched on the sand below a bluff and only a few yards from the surf line, dwarfing surfboard-topped lifeguard vehicles parked nearby.

Bing Bush and his wife, Julie, who live in a cliffside complex overlooking the beach, were in for a surprise when they stepped out their front door.

"We were just coming down for a beach walk — we come down here quite a bit — and lo and behold there's a chopper on the beach," Bing said, after posing for a photo in front of the chopper with his wife. "We thought maybe it was a movie shot or a movie set or something like that."

The precautionary landing came during routine training, Gunnery Sgt. Donald Bohanner said. The Marines and a local hazardous materials team removed oil that leaked from the copter to the beach, Bohanner said.

"There was no injuries, no damage to any property, no injuries to any civilians, which was an awesome, awesome thing right there," Bohanner said.

J.D. Kalt, a 10-year-old who came to the beach with his mother and some friends to check out the helicopter, was amazed by its size. He had his mother take a cellphone photo of him with his two friends in front of the massive aircraft and then bounced around in the sand staring as Marine mechanics wearing flight suits and helmets scrambled atop the chopper.

"It's huge! I like military and Navy, so I might fly one of those someday," he said.

Four hours after the landing, gawkers gathered to watch it take off again and head back to the Miramar base amid a storm of sand and a deafening roar.

The helicopter is the largest and heaviest in the U.S. military. It has three engines, can travel at more than 170 mph and can carry a crew of four.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-04-16

[Dannyboy666]

I used to live In that town , Big Shark Attack a few years ago...Great White

Edited April 16, 2015 by Dannyboy666

[bonobo]

I was in one of these many years ago. Out flight of two landed at a tiny airport on top of a mountain in Cherokee County, Georgia. We were supposed to meet up with some Special Forces soldiers for a training mission.

We took up the entire airport, just about. A guy walked out of the small hangar in dirty overalls, wiping his hand on an rag. It was right out of Deliverance. He calmly asked us, "You all boys be needing some gas?"

It turned out we were supposed to fly to the Cherokee County North Carolina airport some 50 miles away.

[NeverSure]

They must have cleaned all of the litter off the beach for the photograph, LOL.

That's an amazing helicopter for heavy lifting. It's also heavily armed. It's great for carrying troops and supplies and for humanitarian missions. It can lift 16 tons.

Nice landing, BTW.

[slipperylobster]

I hate helicopters....sorry....but flew on enough of them that were leaking hydraulic fluid ...above the arctic circle.

[Scott]

A post with an oversized graphic has been removed. It messes up the formatting.

[NeverSure]

I was in one of these many years ago. Out flight of two landed at a tiny airport on top of a mountain in Cherokee County, Georgia. We were supposed to meet up with some Special Forces soldiers for a training mission.

We took up the entire airport, just about. A guy walked out of the small hangar in dirty overalls, wiping his hand on an rag. It was right out of Deliverance. He calmly asked us, "You all boys be needing some gas?"

It turned out we were supposed to fly to the Cherokee County North Carolina airport some 50 miles away.

Nice story.

"You all boys be needing some gas?"

It's more like this. "Yall." They don't have a difference between male and female. Everyone's a Yall, spelled y'all for "you all'. Y'all can be singular or plural, of course.

I was in Florida when I was about 11 years old, visiting from the W. Coast. There were some girls about my age outside and I went to greet them and included the phrase "you guys." They were totally insulted. "We're not guys." OK, I learned to say Yall which covers everyone. Less than 3,000 miles away, "you guys" covered everyone.

[sgtsabai]

Flew on the early model back in Vietnam. Do NOT stand there and try to bring that chopper down to the landing site. You can't, at least at the whole 129 lbs (down from 170) I weighed by that time I couldn't. Big difference between it and the old 34's and 46's I was used to. That was my ride out for myself and my little team after turning over USMC operation in Nui Dang/Duc Pho to the 1st Air Cav.

[55Jay]

Flew on the early model back in Vietnam. Do NOT stand there and try to bring that chopper down to the landing site. You can't, at least at the whole 129 lbs (down from 170) I weighed by that time I couldn't. Big difference between it and the old 34's and 46's I was used to. That was my ride out for myself and my little team after turning over USMC operation in Nui Dang/Duc Pho to the 1st Air Cav.

Besides carrier fixed wing a/c, I was accustomed to fueling H3s, occasional H60 and 46s, but will never forget the first Marine 53 that visited us for some reason.

Man, that thing came from behind, up our wake, hovered over the fantail spot and slowly descended. It cast a frickin' shadow, and the wind and noise was intense, we all crouched down in the catwalk a little more than usual and held on to the fuel station hose reels. I remember my buddy mouthing something along the lines of "Holy F*****G S**T!". It was pretty impressive.

[55Jay]

I hate helicopters....sorry....but flew on enough of them that were leaking hydraulic fluid ...above the arctic circle.

I think the '46 crew chiefs used to say leaking hydraulic fluid is no problem.

No fluid leaking....... that's a serious problem!

[55Jay]

They must have cleaned all of the litter off the beach for the photograph, LOL.

That's an amazing helicopter for heavy lifting. It's also heavily armed. It's great for carrying troops and supplies and for humanitarian missions. It can lift 16 tons.

Nice landing, BTW.

When I saw the white lumps on the sand in this photo, I thought - plastic ballast bags from the fishermen who live in the ramshackle huts to the right, just out of the photo frame.

[jollyrog]

From Jan to Jun 1969 I flew as a doorgunner (US Marine Corps) out of Phu Bai, Mag 36, HMH-462 CH-53 B ..........78 missions and only shot down once 18 hits and landed on a friendly LZ (Stud). At the time the most expensive helicopter in the war and the fastest. We had great pilots.....many Korean War jet jockeys who transitioned to fly in the war. Oh for you youngins' it was the American War in Vietnam and we were winnin' when I left..................

[off road pat]

From Jan to Jun 1969 I flew as a doorgunner (US Marine Corps) out of Phu Bai, Mag 36, HMH-462 CH-53 B ..........78 missions and only shot down once 18 hits and landed on a friendly LZ (Stud). At the time the most expensive helicopter in the war and the fastest. We had great pilots.....many Korean War jet jockeys who transitioned to fly in the war. Oh for you youngins' it was the American War in Vietnam and we were winnin' when I left..................

should have stayed longer,....and witnessed the Vietnamese winning....!!!!

that was something little guys in pyjamas kicking the ass of the most powerful army of the moment.....!!!

[jollyrog]

From Jan to Jun 1969 I flew as a doorgunner (US Marine Corps) out of Phu Bai, Mag 36, HMH-462 CH-53 B ..........78 missions and only shot down once 18 hits and landed on a friendly LZ (Stud). At the time the most expensive helicopter in the war and the fastest. We had great pilots.....many Korean War jet jockeys who transitioned to fly in the war. Oh for you youngins' it was the American War in Vietnam and we were winnin' when I left..................

should have stayed longer,....and witnessed the Vietnamese winning....!!!!

that was something little guys in pyjamas kicking the ass of the most powerful army of the moment.....!!!

"Little guys in pajamas" is not a fair description of the warriors of Vietnam. They were committed Communist and experienced guerrilla fighters while American allied forces were using conventional tactics.They killed over 58,000 of us and wounded over 300,000. Maybe we should have not been there in the first place.