Helicopter crash at Calif. base kills 2 Marines
Baku, September 20 (AZERTAC A helicopter that went down during a training exercise at Southern California's Camp Pendleton killed the two Marines onboard and set off a fast-moving brush fire on the base Monday.
The blaze burned 120 acres and was 80 percent contained Monday evening, a base statement said.
The 1 p.m. wreck involved a twin-engine, two-seat AH-1W Cobra attack helicopter belonging to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, a Marine Corps statement said. It crashed in the southeast corner of the base near the community of Fallbrook.
The fire grew quickly after the crash, spreading to 50 acres three hours after the helicopter went down. It was moving near the base's border with the town of De Luz, the Marine Corps statement said.
The Marines died at the scene. Their names won't be released until their families have been notified, officials said.
Several accidents have happened in recent months involving Marine Corps training in Southern California, including a fatal accident in July.
Another Hornet sustained at least $1 million damage when its engine caught fire on March 30 aboard the USS John C. Stennis during a training exercise about 100 miles off the San Diego coast. Eight sailors, a Marine and two civilians were injured.
The Navy has said debris in the engine is the suspected cause of that fire.
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