Marine Corps Helicopter Missing in California Storm: Search Underway Amidst Severe Weather
Search operations are underway for a Marine Corps helicopter transporting five troops from Nevada to California, which was reported overdue amidst ongoing severe weather conditions in California.
The Marines were operating a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, departing from Creech Air Force Base, located northwest of Las Vegas. They had been engaged in unit-level training and were en route to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, according to defense officials.
The exact departure time from Creech and the scheduled arrival time were not immediately available. The region experienced persistent heavy rainfall overnight, with snow anticipated in San Diego County mountains.
The five U.S. Marines were part of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Miramar, as stated by the Marine Corps.
At 1 a.m., the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department received notification that the helicopter was overdue for its Miramar arrival and was last observed in the Pine Valley area, a mountainous region about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of downtown San Diego, according to Lt. Matthew Carpenter.
Search and rescue efforts were being coordinated by the military in collaboration with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol, according to the Marine Corps. As of Wednesday morning, calls to the public affairs office went unanswered, and no additional information was provided in the statement.
The National Weather Service in San Diego predicted snowfall of 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) in mountainous areas above 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) and strong winds later in the day. Although a tornado warning was issued on Tuesday afternoon, it was swiftly canceled, with the weather service indicating that the storm was not conducive to tornado formation.
The CH-53E Super Stallion, measuring approximately 99 feet (30 meters) in length, holds the distinction of being the largest and heaviest helicopter in the military. Renowned for its ability to transport troops and equipment across challenging terrain in adverse weather conditions, including at night, it is colloquially known as the “hurricane maker” due to the significant downwash generated by its three engines.
Notably, two CH-53E helicopters played a crucial role in evacuating American and foreign allies from the U.S. embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia, during the civil war in January 1990.
The source of this information is AP News.