2009 — Oct 29, USMC Helicopter/USCG C-130 Collide, ~San Clemente Is., CA — 9

— 9  Associated Press. “CA Searchers Scour For Survivors of Midair Crash,” October 30, 2009.

— 9  Baugher. US Navy…US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (164196 to ???). 10-28-2011.

— 9  Braesch. “Search for Crewmembers involved in Mid-Air Collision.” Coast Guard Compass.

— 9  Reuters. “U.S. Marine, Coast Guard Aircraft Collide, 9 Missing,” Oct 30, 2009.

 

Narrative Information

 

Baugher: “Bell AH-1W Sea Cobra….164596 (c/n 29154) with HMLA-469 collided with Coast Guard HC-130H 1705 off San Clemente Oct 29, 2009.  2 on helicopter and 7 on HC-130H killed.”  (Baugher. US Navy…US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (164196 to ???). 10-28-2011.)

 

Braesch: “….A joint agency search and rescue operation continues off the coast of California east of San Clemente Island for the missing air crewmembers who were onboard the Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane and a Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter that collided. The search effort has saturated an area totaling 644 square miles and includes surface and air assets from the Coast Guard, Navy, Marine Corps and Customs Border Protection Air/Marine Branch. The missing Guardians from the Coast Guard C-130 are:

  • Lieutenant Commander Che J. Barnes, age 35, Capay, Calif., Aircraft Commander.
  • Lieutenant Adam W. Bryant, age 28, Crewe, Va., Co-Pilot.
  • Chief Petty Officer John F. Seidman, age 43, Stockton, Calif., Flight Engineer.
  • Petty Officer 2nd Class Carl P. Grigonis, age 35, Mayfield Heights, Ohio, Navigator.
  • Petty Officer 2nd Class Monica L. Beacham, 29, Decaturville, Tenn., Radio Operator.
  • Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason S. Moletzsky, age 26, Norristown, Pa., Air Crew.
  • Petty Officer 3rd Class Danny R. Kreder II, age 22, Elm Mott, Texas, Drop Master.

“The missing crew members from the Marine Corps helicopter are:

  • Major Samuel Leigh, age 35, Kennebec, Maine.
  • 1st Lieutenant Thomas Claiborne, age 26, Douglas, Colo.

(Braesch, Lt. Connie. “Search for Crewmembers involved in Mid-Air Collision.” Coast Guard Compass (Official Blog of the U.S. Coast Guard). 10-31-2009.)

Oct 30, AP: “A Marine attack helicopter that collided with a Coast Guard search plane off Southern California was one of four helicopters flying in formation to deliver Marines to a training island…. Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Jay Delarosa says two AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters were escorting two heavy lift CH-53E transport helicopters carrying Marines to San Clemente Island Thursday night. ….at the time of the crash, the C-130 was searching for a man in a skiff who was reported missing out of Los Angeles.  The Camp Pendleton-based AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter was on a training mission.”  (AP, Oct 30, 2009)

 

Oct 30, Reuters: “SAN DIEGO (Reuters) – Rescue teams searched the waters off the coast of Southern California on Friday for nine people missing after a mid-air crash of a U.S. Coast Guard plane and a Marine Corps helicopter, officials said.  The collision was reported on Thursday evening off San Clemente Island, a U.S. Navy-owned island about 68 miles west of San Diego, according to Coast Guard and Marine Corps officials.

 

“Seven people were believed to be aboard the Coast Guard C-130 transport, and two more aboard the Marine Corps AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter when the two aircraft collided, authorities said.  The cause of the crash was not immediately known, authorities said. The Cobra crew was on a training mission at the time, authorities said.

 

“As of dawn on Friday, pilots and sailors were searching for any survivors in and around an ocean debris field spotted between San Clemente Island and the San Diego County coast, authorities said.”  (Reuters, Oct 30, 2009.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “CA Searchers Scour For Survivors of Midair Crash.” 10-30-2009. Accessed 6-24-2015 at: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/ca_searchers_scour_for_survivo.html

 

Baugher, Joseph F. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (164196 to ???). Oct 28 2011 revision. Accessed at: http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries23.html

 

Braesch, Lt. Connie. “Search for Crewmembers involved in Mid-Air Collision.” Coast Guard Compass (Official Blog of the U.S. Coast Guard). 10-31-2009. Accessed 6-24-2015 at: http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2009/10/search-for-crewmembers-involved-in-mid-air-collision/

 

Reuters. “U.S. Marine, Coast Guard Aircraft Collide, 9 Missing,” 10-30-2009. Accessed at: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE59T39B20091030