Coast Guard C-130, Marine Corps Cobra Collide In Midair Off San Diego

Luigi59

Luigi59

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Coast Guard C-130, Marine Corps Cobra Collide In Midair Off San Diego

Lt. Josh Nelson spoke Thursday night for the Coast Guard, but would not specifically verify news reports that a Coast Guard C-130 with seven aboard collided with an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter with two aboard, producing a fireball seen off the San Diego coast shortly after 7 p.m., Thursday. Nelson confirmed that the accident took place in clear skies, about 15 miles east of San Clemente Island, but would only identify the accident aircraft as "a Coast Guard fixed-wing" and "a DOD aircraft." Marine spokesman Maj. Jay Delarosa confirmed a Marine Cobra belonging to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (based at Miramar, MCAS) and operating out of Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, was the Marine aircraft involved in the incident. Multiple news outlets reported that the FAA identified the second aircraft as a Coast Guard C-130 with seven aboard. At least four Navy helicopters and multiple ships were deployed shortly after the accident and were searching for any survivors.

Nelson reported that searchers using night vision goggles had found debris, but no people. Water temperatures were reported in the low 60's, with calm seas and light winds. The evening fog that sometimes rolls in off the ocean was not present. The search effort was expected to continue through the night.
 
My prayers go out to all those involved and their families. Hoping for the best.
 
Such a sad day for both branches...I wonder how they could have collided since both should have been in contact with air traffic controllers. I remember living at Pope when the 16 clipped the 130 on approach killing many soldiers, in the end the controllers were found at fault. The result was that they changed regs, realizing that fighters and heavies fly at different rates :confused:...I wonder if they were in contact, but the controller did not realize the speeds of the aircrafts.
 
I posted in "off topic" before I saw this. How do accidents happen like this? I don't know anything about aviation, do they have on board sonar to see everything around them if it's dark? This is a sad day. Pray for their loved ones.
 
I think you mean RADAR, not SONAR?

I have lived this too many times over the course of Bullet's career. I am not a betting woman, but I am sure that the families are preparing for the worse and probably by now are coming to terms and accepting the worst, in these situations, it is not a good sign that it has been this long, especially for helos.

My heart and prayers go out to them, unfortunately, it should be a reminder that they did what they loved the most, besides their family.
 
Officer,
I wouldn't say they are common but anyone who has flown much has probably had near midair's. There is a lot of air out there but it is meraculous how small it can get sometimes esspecially in busy areas like San Diego. Also as far as RADAR it depends on the aircraft and the some systems work better than others.

And Pima before you start blaming controllers I bet bullet might get frustrated with them but they have probably saved him a time or two as well.

I have had more than once that the system on my aircraft gave no warning and the controller did just in time.

I also hope they find the T-34 that went missing Wed in Corpus Christi.
 
It's been a rough few days for military aviation. With the collision in Afghanistan, the crash in TX, and now the collision of the coast of CA. The Coast Guard C-130, CG-1705 was engaged in a search and rescue case, looking for an overdue 12 ft. boat.
 
Fox San Diego has some helpful coverage.

fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-coast-guard-search-n-rescue,0,2813729.story
 
When I first saw this report my heart sank like an anchor........a C-130 Herc out on a real mission and a Super Cobra ....training..... in the same area. I cannot fathom any circumstance that a CG aircraft would be operating without ATC, mode C (position and altitude reporting) and TCAS (traffic and collision avoidance system).

Kero, while your “anyone who has flown much has probably had near midair's “ ...may wash within 5-10 nautical of the field, but this was 60-90 out, and is completely unexplainable if both aircraft were mode C reporting and under ATC.

Also, I did not pick up on any hint that Pima was blaming ATC, only that she wondered how this could have happened since the regs changed with the last similar incident. I'm going to agree ..........my gut tells me one of these aircraft was not reporting. Regardless, something tragically went wrong under VFR conditions.

LITS summed it up “It's been a rough few days for military aviation”
 
Next briefing by Rear Adm. Castillo is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., PST. That's in about 10 minutes.
 
I was not placing blame on the controllers, but more in the line that 2 aircrafts flying at different speeds can be a problem that controllers that are young and not experienced enough will not properly place in the equation. This was the problem at Pope back in their horrific crash. Air controllers are part of the equation, also Visual was clear for the night which begs to ask where that went awry if neither pilot saw the other.

This accident will have a board review to see, until then and even after it, the main thrust for any military member is to grieve for their families.
 
What was the orange 'dart shaped' item that they dropped at the end of the video?

So sad - my heart just breaks.
 
The incident occurred 18 miles off the coast.....not 60-90 as I reported. I apologize.

Also thankful that only one of the 4 cobras was involved.
 
The search for survivors from CG-1705 and the Marine AH-1 has been suspended. Yesterday the Coast Guard and Marine Corps released the names of the missing.

For the Coast Guard:

Lt. Cmdr. Che J. Barnes, flight commander
Lt. Adam W. Bryant, co-pilot
Chief Petty Officer John F. Seidman, flight engineer
Petty Officer 2nd Class Carl P. Grigonis, navigator
Petty Officer 2nd Class Monica L. Beacham, radio operator
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason S. Moletzsky, air crew
Petty Officer 3rd Class Danny R. Kreder II, drop master

Lt. Cmdr. Che Barnes was a member of the Coast Guard Academy Class of 1996.
Lt. Adam Bryant was a member of the Coast Guard Academy Class of 2003.

I went to church today. It seems to me appropriate to suspend their search on All Saints Day.

Hearts and prayers go out to the family members and shipmates of these seven fine Guardians.
 
Just came home from service in the Naval Academy Chapel. The Navy Hymn, "
Eternal Father Strong to Save" always gets me, and I kept in mind the families of service members in this incident.

There are many verses for the Navy Hymn, dedicated to various communities.

Here's the naval aviation verse, followed by the Marine verse, then the Coast Guard verse:

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
Through the great spaces in the sky,
Be with them always in the air,
In dark'ning storms or sunlight fair.
O, Hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air.

Eternal Father, grant, we pray
To all Marines, both night and day,
The courage, honor, strength, and skill
Their land to serve, thy law fulfill;
Be thou the shield forevermore
From every peril to the Corps.

Eternal Father, Lord of hosts,
Watch o'er the men who guard our coasts.
Protect them from the raging seas
And give them light and life and peace.
Grant them from thy great throne above
The shield and shelter of thy love.


More historical background:
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq53-1.htm

I don't worry too much about the "men" usage in these verses, figuring the good Lord can figure out who we mean. These are rooted in history and get updated slowly.

Bless and keep the families.
 
The Coast Guard Academy chapel has this printed in their hymnal. The "men" is replaced with "All those"
 
The names of the missing Marines are Major Samuel Leigh, age 35, and First Lieutenant Thomas Claiborne, age 26.

Major Leigh was also known as "SkidKid" as a Moderator on Airwarriors.com. He was a graduate of Norwich.
 
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