Report: Pilot Error, Training Cited In Marine Heli Crash

0

Pilot error, lack of proficiency and operational issues were factors in the deadly collision of two Marine Corps CH-53 helicopters in January, a media investigation revealed. The helicopters, from a squadron of Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Hawaii, crashed in the ocean during a late-night training mission on Jan. 14, killing 12. The Super Stallions were in formation when the trailing helicopter struck the leading aircraft with “hundreds of times the force of gravity,” instantly killing everyone on board, according to an article published this week in Honolulu Civil Beat by the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California, Berkeley. Radar showed the lead helicopter had turned left while the one in trail sped up and slammed into it about 1,500 feet above the surface of the ocean, the report found.

The report said the Marines’ own investigation found that the crash was the result of “low aircraft readiness leading to inadequate pilot efficiency, human factors, and the squadron’s lack of focus on basic aviation practices.” Three of the four CH-53 pilots who died in the collision had flown five or fewer hours in the prior 30 days, while the monthly goal was supposed to be 15.1 hours per pilot, the report found. It also noted that two pilots didn’t have enough recent night-flight and night vision goggle experience to be deemed proficient. In addition, military media reported in the days following the crash that the squadron’s commanding officer was dismissed over readiness and quality issues.

LEAVE A REPLY