Four crew members escaped unharmed after making a fiery emergency landing near a Southern California freeway on Friday afternoon.
The in-flight emergency unfolded at about 4:10 p.m. at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in northern San Diego County, according to Marine Corps and California Highway Patrol officials.
The CH-53A Super Stallion helicopter experienced an engine fire while airborne, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a written statement.
“The aircrew conducted emergency procedures and safely landed the aircraft at a landing zone on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, near interstate 5,” the statement said.
Local and Marine Corps firefighters extinguished the flaming wreckage, which sent a thick plume of smoke high into the air, officials said. The crash site was visible to commuters on the nearby 5 Freeway through Oceanside.
No further details were available on Saturday.
What is a CH-53A Super Stallion?
The CH-53A Super Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter described by the U.S. Navy as a “workhorse” that’s been used by the Marine Corps around the globe for more than 30 years.