Two helicopters crash near Yuma, Az. killing 7 Marines
20.05.12
The Arizona Republic
PHOENIX -- Seven Marines were killed after two military helicopters collided Wednesday night near Yuma, Ariz., military officials said.
Six of the seven Marines were based at Camp Pendleton north of San Diego, and one was based in Yuma, according to officials from Miramar Air Base in California. The Marines had been scheduled for deployment to Afghanistan.
The identities of the Marines will not be released until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified. However, the Yuma-based Marine was a captain, instructor and pilot, Col. Robert Kuckuk, air station commander of the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma.
An AH-1 W Cobra helicopter and a UH-1 Huey were both carrying explosives and were training together along with at least two other aircraft when the two collided 65 miles northwest of the air station, Kuckuk said.
Aerial views Thursday afternoon of the crash site in the Chocolate Mountain Gunnery Range showed several trucks amid the charred remains of the copters.
Source: WCSH-TV