12 feared dead in military helicopter collision off Hawaii coast - report

the Hawaii Coast Guard is carrying out a search and rescue operation after two military aircraft reportedly collided in mid-air and then ditched in the water north of the island of Oahu.
The two helicopters were from the nearby Kaneohe Bay US Marine Corps Air Station, and each had six people on board, CBS News reports, citing the Coast Guard.

12 feared dead in military helicopter collision off Hawaii coast - report

Oh my goodness. Just breaking. Hoping for the best. They state that the waves are 40 ft. TALL!!! I could not imagine trying to execute a rescue in these conditions.

a reply to: ReadLeader

Same latitude as Middle Falls..

Lots of Shark reports in the area according to Google

Here is another link.


www.cbsnews.com...

Also stating that the waves could potentially be 30-40 ft high...

With weather like that, it's doubtful they'll find anyone, even if there were survivors.

Semper Fi.

Rescuers arrived to the scene just after midnight, after multiple reports of the crash, and found debris, an empty life raft and fire on the water, some 2.5km from the coastal settlement of Haleiwa.

Nobody is stating what aircraft type, yet. Six each, Blackhawks? If a training flight, might have collided, shearing off rotors and falling like stones to the water. The impact would have knocked people unconscious, no survivors among the debris field isn't a good sign.

a reply to: ReadLeader

Hawaii wave heights are misleading. Normally they're measured on the back of the wave, but they measure the face, so they get higher wave heights.

They were Marine helicopters so either CH-47s or -53s.

ETA: It was a pair of CH-53s off Haleiwa. They found an empty raft and debris field.

a reply to: ReadLeader

What terrible news! I wonder what the heck happened.. weather related? Mechanical malfunction??

Thinking of the victims & their families

Very sad to hear

a reply to: FamCore

If it was night they may have been doing night vision goggle training and lost sight of each other.

a reply to: FamCore

Hard to believe the radar cloaking would be so effective they wouldn't be able to detect each other.
Guess I'm just in denial hoping this is a false flag to count salutes..

a reply to: Slichter

They don't have radar that can detect each other. Most aircraft don't. They have weather radar that under absolutely perfect conditions can occasionally detect another aircraft, but it's not designed for that.

The aircraft were from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Eyewitnesses reported a boom and a flash around 11 pm local. The Coast Guard arrived just after midnight and found the raft and flames on the water about a half mile off shore. The debris field moved 8 miles in 3 hours.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Dont the 60 G's have radar warning receivers installed?

a reply to: ReadLeader

Totally different animal. That tells you that radar energy is hitting the aircraft, where it's coming from, and if it's airborne or ground based. It's not actual radar. It won't tell you where another aircraft is unless it's painting you with radar.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Copy that... what a tragedy to happen in the middle of the night, no lights.... hoping for the best..

Thanks for the 411 Zap, you are truly a plethera of 411!!!!

a reply to: ReadLeader

I have friends out there. I'll try to get hold of them once it's normal hours and see what they can find out as well.

The aircraft belonged to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 463, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Air Wing.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Hope all is OK !

a reply to: Timely

With it being this long and them in the water, I'm afraid it doesn't look good.

a reply to: ReadLeaderThat area is always tough when it comes to water rescue. It is know for tall waves. I do believe it will be a recovery and not a search and rescue. Being that it happened at night will hamper the search.

Weather conditions aren't good. So far they have only found a raft and helmets. KGMB news in Hawaii is doing live coverage of this.

m.hawaiinewsnow.com...:YcQIluPl

a reply to: Ceeker63

Based on previous experience, at this point it's almost certainly a recovery and not a rescue anymore.

USS John Paul Jones, USS Gridley, and a group on Navy SH-60s have joined the search as well as Air Force, Marine, and Coast Guard assets.