Marine Cobra Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing; Crew Safe
Two Marines escaped unharmed Friday after their AH-1T Cobra helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in an open field at Camp Pendleton.
The mishap occurred during a routine maintenance test flight near the camp’s Las Pulgas gate, about four miles south of the Border Patrol checkpoint at San Onofre, a Marine Corps spokesman said.
Capt. Brad Bailey and 1st Lt. Randy Hammond of Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 169, stationed at Camp Pendleton, set the helicopter down after a fire broke out inside the craft, Maj. Tom Mitchell said.
Mitchell, the camp’s deputy public affairs officer, said the two officers made it out safely and then extinguished the fire.
It was not clear which officer was the pilot or the extent of damage to the helicopter. The incident, which occurred around 2:50 p.m., is under investigation.
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