Seven marines died last night when their two helicopters collided in a training exercise near Yuma, Ariz., Pentagon officials announced today. The identity of the seven won’t be revealed until next-of-kin have been notified, but they were from the 3rd Marine Airwing based at Miramar in Southern California. There were no survivors of the crash. USA Today has a few more details about the training base in Arizona and the precise location of the accident:
via Helicopter crash in Arizona kills seven U.S. marines « Hot Air.
Ugh. All the services place a great deal of emphasis on safety in training. But military service can be dangerous, even away from the battlefield. Aviation, especially, is unforgiving of even the slightest error.
Based on the types of aircraft involved, a Cobra and a Huey, it’s likely both aircraft, and all seven Marines, were from the same squadron. This tight knit community has been dealt a tough blow. And while the Marines are hurting, they also have to take a coldly detached look at what happened, what mistakes were made, and strive to avoid those mistakes in the future. It sounds like blaming the victim, but it is important to learn.
xbradtc
roamingfirehydrant
Craig Swain
dgharvey
My heart hurts. Six were from Pendleton, one from Yuma. I have a friend who is a helo pilot out of Yuma. I’m still waiting to hear.