Marine Corps Copter Crash Blamed on Human Error

The crash of a Marine Corps helicopter into the ocean off San Diego that killed seven men was caused by a series of human errors and deviations from safety rules, a Marine Corps investigation released Thursday concluded.

Still, the death toll from the Dec. 9 crash would have been higher without the quick thinking and bravery of two Marines aboard the helicopter and a Navy rescue specialist in a nearby boat who plucked several dazed and injured Marines from the water.

Six Marines and a Navy corpsman died. Eleven Marines survived.

The Vietnam-era CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter sank in 40 seconds into 3,900 feet of water 14 miles from Point Loma while on a routine but highly risky training mission.

The investigation concluded that the helicopter came in too low and too fast in its attempt to hover over the rear deck of the oiler Pecos. The pilot also did not heed directions from landing safety officers aboard the Pecos to abort the approach and make a second attempt.

One of the landing officers frantically attempted to signal the pilot that his craft was in danger of colliding with the ship. But the pilot did not respond. He later told investigators that he did not recognize the Pecos crewman as a landing officer because he was wearing a white jacket rather than the standard yellow jacket.

Despite the findings, Marine Corps officials have decided that there will be no courts-martial or other punishments. The two pilots and two enlisted men who were part of the flight crew have been taken off flying status.

“At times, human error and well-intentioned procedural deviations result in tragic consequences,” said Marine Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Carol McBride. “We do not prosecute for innocent mistakes.”

The accident occurred as Marines from Camp Pendleton and Navy SEALs from Coronado were practicing how to board a hostile ship at sea to search for contraband or weapons.

The exercise called for the CH-46 to hover just above the rear deck, then lift 20 or so feet into the air so that the Marines, members of the elite reconnaissance unit, could rappel down a rope to the deck.

The helicopter’s left rear landing gear snagged on a safety net on the rear of the ship and then, while attempting to lift off, the aircraft spun out of control.

The helicopter crashed upside down, sea water rushed in and an interior emergency lighting system failed. Even in the chaos and murky water, two sergeants moved immediately to help other Marines escape.

Sgt. Robert Evers and Gunnery Sgt. James P. Paige, rather than escaping themselves, chose to help others first. Evers ultimately escaped, but Paige did not.

For his actions, Paige has been recommended posthumously for the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the Marine Corps’ highest peacetime commendation.

Also recommended for the medal was Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Randy Price, who was part of a boat squadron assigned to the exercise.

One reason the helicopter sank so quickly may have been that, unlike many Marine Corps helicopters, it was not equipped with an automatic flotation system meant to keep a downed craft afloat long enough for personnel to escape.

Also, there were not enough underwater breathing devices for the men on board.

In response to the accident, the Marine Corps has moved to equip all helicopters with automatic flotation systems and to require enough breathing gear for all aboard.

The report noted that the Marines unbuckled their safety harnesses and stood up as the helicopter approached the ship. Safety regulations call for them to remain seated until the helicopter begins to hover.

The seven who died were trapped inside the helicopter, possibly unconscious from the jarring impact of the crash. Their bodies were later recovered by a deep-diving robot.

Investigators believe some of the seven might have survived if their leaders had followed regulations and ordered them to remain seated and buckled until the craft hovered.

Lt. Col. Robert Coates said the Marines were “cheating forward,” that is, not following safety rules out of eagerness to rappel down the rope as quickly as possible.

In combat, he noted, it may be safer for Marines to stand up while the helicopter is still approaching rather than give an enemy additional time to target it.

As part of the investigation, Marine units have been told to cease “cheating forward” and to adhere to rules about waiting until the craft hovers to unbuckle and stand up.

The Sea Knight continues to be a workhorse in hauling cargo and personnel. The helicopters are slated to be phased out sometime this decade as the new tilt-rotor Osprey is sent to the fleet.