Marine helicopters collide off Oahu, search under way

[rooster59]

Marine helicopters collide off Oahu, search under way

AUDREY McAVOY, Associated Press


HALEIWA, Hawaii (AP) — Two Marine Corps helicopters carrying six crew members each collided and went down off the Hawaiian island of Oahu while on a nighttime training mission, and rescuers searched choppy waters Friday where debris had been sighted, military officials said.

There was no immediate word on the fate of those aboard or what caused the accident.

The transport helicopters known as CH-53Es crashed just before midnight Thursday, officials said.

A Coast Guard helicopter and C-130 airplane spotted a debris field 2 1/2 miles offshore early Friday. The debris covered an area of 2 miles (3 kilometers), Marine Capt. Timothy Irish said.

The choppers are part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Known as Super Stallions, they are the U.S. military's largest helicopter, capable of carrying a light armored vehicle, 16 tons of cargo or a team of combat-equipped Marines, according to a Marine Corps website.

Elaray Navarro, a retiree who lives across the street from the beach, said she heard two booms late Thursday that were loud enough to shake her house.

"I threw my blanket off, put my slippers on and ran outside thinking it was a car accident," she said.

She expressed concern for the crew as she watched the pounding surf from a beach park in Haleiwa.

The search included Air Force units, as well as a Honolulu Fire Department rescue boat and Coast Guard cutters, officials said.

Two Navy ships, the USS John Paul Jones and the USS Gridley, were also participating, along with a Navy squadron of SH-60 helicopters, Navy spokeswoman Agnes Tauyan said.

As the rescue efforts went on, about two dozen Marines gathered Friday morning on the beach at Waimea Bay, a popular surfing spot a few miles from the search operation.

The family of Capt. Kevin Roche believes he was one of the Marines aboard the helicopters.

"We believe the Marines and Coast Guard are doing everything they can to bring Kevin and his fellow Marines home safely, and we are grateful to everyone involved in the rescue," said a family statement distributed by brother-in-law Anthony Kuenzel in St. Louis, Missouri.

An aunt posted on a Marine Corps Facebook page that three Marines visited Roche's parents and reported that he was missing.

A steady rain was falling on the North Shore just before daybreak, and rough water conditions were forecast.

A swell approaching the area was to bring dangerous waves to beaches and up to 20-foot seas near the rescue operation, National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Foster said. Winds were expected to be relatively calm at 10 mph or less.

The crash comes less than a year after a Marine Corps tilt-rotor aircraft crashed during a training exercise in Hawaii, killing two Marines. The MV-22 Osprey went down last May with 21 Marines and a Navy corpsman on board.

In 2011, one serviceman was killed and three others injured when a CH-53D Sea Stallion chopper crashed in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-16

[sanukjim]

At least one of the pilots had his head up his aXX. No reason for a two helicopter blade strike,even at night.

[alanrchase]

At least one of the pilots had his head up his aXX. No reason for a two helicopter blade strike,even at night.

Mechanical failure in one caused it to veer into the other?

[billd766]

At least one of the pilots had his head up his aXX. No reason for a two helicopter blade strike,even at night.

Are you a fully qualified Marine helicopter pilot?

Were you there at the time and know exactly what went wrong?

Did it occur to you that there may have been a bird strike on one helicopter causing it to collide with the other. Perhaps there was an engineering failure which caused the accident.

Until the enquiry is completed few people will know.

The only person with his head up his aXX is you.

[sanukjim]

At least one of the pilots had his head up his aXX. No reason for a two helicopter blade strike,even at night.

Mechanical failure in one caused it to veer into the other?

Not likely that a "hard over" would cause a collision if the proper distance was observed.

[billd766]

At least one of the pilots had his head up his aXX. No reason for a two helicopter blade strike,even at night.

Mechanical failure in one caused it to veer into the other?

Not likely that a "hard over" would cause a collision if the proper distance was observed.

They are always training for a war mode, hence a close distance.

With all your extensive helicopter experience please tell me what is the "safe" and proper distance?

Edited January 16, 2016 by billd766

[sanukjim]

At least one of the pilots had his head up his aXX. No reason for a two helicopter blade strike,even at night.

Are you a fully qualified Marine helicopter pilot?

Were you there at the time and know exactly what went wrong?

Did it occur to you that there may have been a bird strike on one helicopter causing it to collide with the other. Perhaps there was an engineering failure which caused the accident.

Until the enquiry is completed few people will know.

The only person with his head up his aXX is you.

The answer to your first question is YES. I am a formal US Marine and was .a qualified helicopter Crew Chief on three types of helicopters.Later after I became a qualified helicopter pilot. .A bird strike would not effect the attitude of a CH 53E. Flying in formation you have a minimum distance for safety reasons.At night or in weather.you should increase that distance.Barring any dust storms over the ocean .This should not had happen except for pilot error.. So yes I damn well what I am talking about.

[billd766]

At least one of the pilots had his head up his aXX. No reason for a two helicopter blade strike,even at night.

Are you a fully qualified Marine helicopter pilot?

Were you there at the time and know exactly what went wrong?

Did it occur to you that there may have been a bird strike on one helicopter causing it to collide with the other. Perhaps there was an engineering failure which caused the accident.

Until the enquiry is completed few people will know.

The only person with his head up his aXX is you.

The answer to your first question is YES. I am a formal US Marine and was .a qualified helicopter Crew Chief on three types of helicopters.Later after I became a qualified helicopter pilot. .A bird strike would not effect the attitude of a CH 53E. Flying in formation you have a minimum distance for safety reasons.At night or in weather.you should increase that distance.Barring any dust storms over the ocean .This should not had happen except for pilot error.. So yes I damn well what I am talking about.

Thank you for that information.

If you had said that in your first post I would have accepted that you had a good idea of what you were talking about.

However many posters on Thai Visa are keyboard pilots with no experience of real life.

[sanukjim]

At least one of the pilots had his head up his aXX. No reason for a two helicopter blade strike,even at night.

Are you a fully qualified Marine helicopter pilot?

Were you there at the time and know exactly what went wrong?

Did it occur to you that there may have been a bird strike on one helicopter causing it to collide with the other. Perhaps there was an engineering failure which caused the accident.

Until the enquiry is completed few people will know.

The only person with his head up his aXX is you.

The answer to your first question is YES. I am a formal US Marine and was .a qualified helicopter Crew Chief on three types of helicopters.Later after I became a qualified helicopter pilot. .A bird strike would not effect the attitude of a CH 53E. Flying in formation you have a minimum distance for safety reasons.At night or in weather.you should increase that distance.Barring any dust storms over the ocean .This should not had happen except for pilot error.. So yes I damn well what I am talking about.

Thank you for that information.

If you had said that in your first post I would have accepted that you had a good idea of what you were talking about.

However many posters on Thai Visa are keyboard pilots with no experience of real life.

Sorry about the outburst ,DJ