Latest news with #MarineCorpsAirStationMiramar
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Haunting video shows plane slam into homes killing 6 in San Diego after pilot was left flying blind as equipment failed
DRAMATIC footage has captured the moment a private jet carrying a music star and an agent exploded into a fireball after crashing in a San Diego neighborhood. Six people in total are feared to have died in the high-impact smash that claimed the life of rocker Daniel Williams. 5 5 5 Ring doorbell footage captured the impact of the Cessna plane crash just after 3:45 am local time. A ball of fire could be seen in the background, according to the footage recorded by David Nero's device and seen by the NBC affiliate KNSD-TV. The night sky was illuminated by the bursts of light, and then plumes of smoke could be seen billowing. In the moments leading up to the crash, the pilot had to navigate a series of challenges. Heavy fog blanketed the neighborhood as the plane tried to land at an executive airport in the city. It has since emerged that no visibility readings were logged between the hours of 9pm Wednesday and 6am on Thursday, according to National Weather Service data seen by the Fox affiliate KUSI-TV. The private jet's pilot contacted a station at Montgomery-Gibbs airport before turning to the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar - located eight miles away. National Transportation Safety Board investigators also revealed the control tower at Montgomery-Gibbs was closed at the time. In order to land at the airfield, pilots must have a visibility of at least three miles, as per the Federal Aviation Administration. An automatic weather report from the airport did not have any data for visibility and wind, as reported by the ABC affiliate KGTV-TV. Information linked to the airport's sky condition was also missing. Audio recordings, heard by the outlet, revealed the pilot said he would try to land the plane despite the poor conditions. 'Doesn't sound great, but we'll give it a go,' the pilot said. Investigators have not revealed a cause behind the smash, but they're probing several factors - the weather being one of those. David Soucie, a CNN aviation analyst, believes it's unlikely that the plane ran out of fuel. He pointed out the fact that jet fuel was spattered across the streets in Tierrasanta - located around 10 miles from downtown San Diego. The jet, which can carry up to 10 people, smashed into power lines before colliding into a house, according to investigators. Fuel ignited, which saw cars torched and turned into shells by the side of the road. Doesn't sound great, but we'll give it a go. Pilot Around 100 people in the neighborhood were evacuated and eight people were injured. Cars were in a mangled state and debris was strewn across the road. Locals initially thought an earthquake had struck before they realized what had happened. "My kids woke up as well, they looked out the window and started screaming,' one local told the CBS affiliate KCAL-TV. FIERY SCENE 'My whole front area was on fire. We were trapped in our home and couldn't get out.' Williams and music titan, Dave Shapiro, are the only two victims that have been named. Williams was formerly a drummer for the Christian rock band The Devil Wears Prada. He boasted about being on board the private plane and joked he was at the controls in posts uploaded to his Instagram Stories. Williams' dad later clarified that his son was goofing around, per TMZ. But Shapiro had a pilot license and boasted about his accomplishment in an Instagram post from 2020. And, he shared videos of himself performing maneuvers such as loops and inverted rolls. "Social distancing 6,000 feet from other people is more effective than 6ft," the caption of one of his videos stated. The videos were taken in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. 5 5 .
Epoch Times
09-05-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Marine Corps Report Cites Pilot Error in Helicopter Crash That Killed 5 in California
Pilot error was the root cause of a military helicopter crash near Pine Valley, California, last year that claimed the lives of five U.S. Marines, an investigation has found. The CH-53E Super Stallion, callsign 'TIGER 43,' was conducting a routine flight from Imperial County Airfield to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar when it crashed into a mountain ridge on Feb. 6, 2024. U.S. Marine Corps investigators found that the pilots failed to maintain safe obstacle clearance and did not adhere to visual flight rules visibility requirements, likely due to spatial disorientation caused by challenging environmental conditions, according to a May 7 Corps The investigators confirmed there was no evidence of material or mechanical failure in the helicopter. The five Marines lost in the crash were Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, Sgt. Alec Langen, Capt. Benjamin Moulton, Capt. Jack Casey, and Capt. Miguel Nava, all members of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. (Top L–R) Capt. Jack Casey, Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, and Sgt. Alec Langen. (Bottom L–R) Capt. Benjamin Moulton and Capt. Miguel Nava. Marine Corps via AP The helicopter disappeared late on Feb. 6, 2024, during a storm, and its wreckage was found the next morning near Pine Valley. Recovery efforts were disturbed by rough terrain and severe weather, and Marines stayed with the fallen until their bodies could be recovered, in keeping with the Marine Corps' tradition of never leaving a Marine behind. Related Stories 5/7/2025 5/6/2025 'We have been confronted with a tragedy that is every service family's worst fear,' Lt. Col. Nicholas J. Harvey, commanding officer of the squadron, said at the time of the accident. 'The Flying Tigers family stands strong and includes the friends and community who have supported our squadron during this challenging time. We will get through this together.' The May 7 statement said the investigation faced some limitations, including the inability to access certain onboard flight data and obtain exact real-time weather information. Investigators used available data and simulations to reconstruct the events leading to the crash. Following a review of the investigation, the commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing relieved the HMH-361 commanding officer of command on Nov. 18, 2024, citing a loss of trust and confidence. While the officer's actions were not found to be a direct cause of the crash, the commanding general determined that he had demonstrated poor judgment and should have exercised greater care in his duties, according to the investigation report. In response to the findings, the Marine Corps has implemented multiple changes to policy and training across the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Corps also extended gratitude to the first responders and investigative teams involved in the aftermath and investigation of the crash. From
07-05-2025
- General
Weather and night vision goggles were likely factors in Marine Corps helicopter crash, report finds
WASHINGTON -- The crash of a Marine Corps helicopter last year that killed five service members was ultimately caused by pilot error, but the use of night vision goggles and unsafe flying conditions also likely were factors, according to an investigation report obtained by The Associated Press. The CH-53 Super Stallion crashed Feb. 6, 2024, during a late night flight when it hit a mountain near Pine Valley, California, on its way back to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Investigators found that multiple factors likely led to the crash. But as with several previous military aviation accidents, investigators had to make some assumptions because the CH-53 was not equipped with a flight data recorder capable of surviving a crash. The limits of night vision goggles also have been identified as a potential factor in the fatal collision of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet near Reagan Washington National Airport in January that killed 67 people. The goggles can reduce a pilot's ability to determine distance and can be degraded by weather or light pollution. The Marine helicopter was flying in icing conditions with low cloud cover that obscured the mountainous terrain along the flight path. The crew was using night vision goggles, which likely did not give them the clear picture needed to avoid a crash into terrain, investigators found. The precipitation and clouds probably degraded the goggles' performance and possibly gave the crew a false sense that they were maintaining the safe distances needed in the flight, investigators found. The pilot and crew chief 'most likely believed they were operating legally and within their comfort level,' investigators found. Ultimately, though, investigators found that the pilot's failure to avoid the terrain was the primary cause of the crash. They also found that the commanding officer, who was relieved of duty due to a loss of confidence in an ability to lead, should not have given the crew approval to fly. The Super Stallion vanished during the overnight flight on its way back to Miramar from Creech Air Force Base. The helicopter was discovered in the morning near the mountain community of Pine Valley. All five Marines aboard were killed in the crash: Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, 21, of Olathe, Kansas; Sgt. Alec Langen, 23, of Chandler, Arizona; Capt. Miguel Nava, 28, of Traverse City, Michigan; Capt. Jack Casey, 26, of Dover, New Hampshire; and Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27, of Emmett, Idaho In interviews contained in the report, multiple members of the squadron said that the crews had been stretched thin because their unit had to fly additional missions to compensate for last year's monthslong grounding of the V-22 Osprey fleet.
