Tustin Marine Lost at Sea in Copter Accident

Eight Marines were pulled from the chilly waters off Santa Barbara County after the engine of their Tustin-based helicopter caught fire and lost power, but one Marine was missing at sea, authorities said.

Coast Guard officials said a sea and air search by a helicopter and two boats for the missing Marine continued until nightfall, then was abandoned.

“The guy who’s missing had a small, inflatable life jacket,” Coast Guard Petty Officer Michael Dooley said.

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Reid Cristino added: “We found a debris trail, and we felt if there was any chance of his surviving we would have found him.”

Marine officials declined to release the name or hometown of the missing Marine, who was stationed at Tustin Marine Corps Air Station, until his relatives can be notified.

No further search was planned for today, Cristino said.

Coast Guard vessels recovered the twin-rotor helicopter’s ramp and a helmet in two-foot waves, but the main fuselage is missing.

The accident occurred about two miles offshore about 10:25 a.m. when one of three Marine copters lost power and was forced to “make a controlled landing,” Marine Capt. Betsy Sweatt said.

“It was not a crash, it was a controlled set-down initiated by the pilot,” she said. “I know that it sank.”

According to the Coast Guard, an engine fire broke out as the helicopter was coming down.

The eight survivors, all wearing life vests, were plucked from the choppy, 56-degree water by two helicopters from the Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station.

The Marines had been in the water for about 20 minutes, base spokesman Harry Lee said.

“The crew called our approach control at 10:25 a.m., and the pilot said he was making a controlled landing in the ocean, which meant he was going in,” said Bob Hubbard, another Pt. Mugu spokesman.

The survivors were flown to Oxnard Airport, then taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, where they were treated in the emergency room.

“All are fine,” Lee said. “One has a slight ankle injury.”

Hubbard said the injured Marine “kicked the window out of the helicopter” during its evacuation.

None of the survivors would speak with reporters, and Sweatt said their names would not be immediately released.

The accident occurred as a severe winter storm was lashing the area. But military officials said they did not know whether the copter went down because of the storm.

The craft was one of three participating in a training flight from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161 at the Tustin base. Coast Guard officials said the destination was Monterey.

The helicopters consisted of two CH-46E Sea Knights, including the one that went down, and an AH-1W Cobra, Sweatt said.

The twin-rotor Sea Knight has been a Marine and Navy transportation workhorse.