M2CC FEBRUARY 2024

14 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us FEBRUARY 2024 EDITION WWW.M2CC.US
Newsletter | 15
Missing Helicopter
Carrying 5 Marines Found
in Mountainous Area
Outside San Diego
WASHINGTON — A missing military helicopter
that had five Marines onboard has been found
by search and rescue crews in a mountainous
area outside San Diego, the Marine Corps said
Wednesday. The helicopter was found at about 9
a.m. local time in Pine Valley, Calif., according
to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Marines on
the helicopter were assigned to the Marine Heavy
Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group
16 of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. They were
flying in a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter and
traveling Tuesday from Creech Air Force Base
in Nevada to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
in California when the aircraft was reported
overdue, the service had said.
The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is headquartered
at the Miramar base, has been coordinating search and
rescue efforts with the San Diego County Sheriff’s
Department and the Civil Air Patrol. The National
Weather Service in San Diego is expecting weather
conditions Wednesday to include 6 to 10 inches of snow
in the mountains above 5,000 feet and gusty winds. The
sheriff’s department has said it was notified at about 1
a.m. that the helicopter was overdue for arrival at the
Miramar base and was last seen in the area of Pine Valley,
a mountainous region about 35 miles east of downtown
San Diego. The Marine Corps air station is located about
12 miles north of downtown San Diego.
The CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest and heaviest
helicopter in the military. It can move troops and
equipment over rugged terrain in bad weather, including
at night, according to the Marine Corps website. It is
also nicknamed the “hurricane maker” because of the
amount of downwash generated from its three engines.
No further information was provided Wednesday
about the condition of the helicopter or the five
Marines onboard. The California Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection tweeted Wednesday
that multiple agencies have been requested to
assist in the rescue due to heavy snow. Waves
of heavy downpours hit the area throughout the
night from a historic storm that has drenched
California this week.