Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 1 april 2019

2 pilots killed in Marine helicopter crash in Arizona

By Associated Press Yuma over the years. rado River during a training
YUMA, Ariz. (AP) — Two In 1996, a Marine elec- mission. The crew mem-
Marine pilots have died in tronic-warfare plane went bers were attached to a
a helicopter crash during down during a training mis- headquarters squadron of
a training mission in south- sion on a gunnery range Marine Corps Air Station in
western Arizona, U.S. Ma- near the Gila Mountains, Yuma.
rine Corps officials said Sun- about 40 miles (64 kilome- In 2012, seven Marines
day. ters) east of the Yuma sta- were killed when an AH-1W
The AH-1Z Viper crashed tion, killing all four people Super Cobra attack heli-
Saturday night while the aboard. The crew was from copter and a UH-1Y Huey
pilots were conducting a the Marine base at Cherry utility helicopter collided in
training mission as part of Point, North Carolina, and midair during a training ex-
a weapons and tactical in- was training at Yuma. ercise in a remote area of
structor course, according Two Marine pilots, a crew the Yuma training grounds.
to the Marine Corps. The chief and a Navy corps- The crash site was in the
cause of the crash is under In this April 17, 2017 photo released by U.S. Marine Corps, an man died in a 2007 crash Chocolate Mountains on
investigation. AH-1Z Viper prepares to land at the Chocolate Mountain Aerial of a search-and-rescue the California side of the
Capt. Gabriel Adibe, a Gunnery Range, Calif. helicopter near the Colo- range.q
Marine Corps spokesman, Associated Press.
said the helicopter crashed who died have not been (3,367-square-kilometer)
on the vast Marine Corps released pending notifica- training ground is one of Forest fire burns
Air Station Yuma training tion of their families. the world’s largest military
grounds but no additional The station is located installations. thousands of acres in
information was immedi- about 2 miles (3.2 kilo- There have been several
ately available. meters) from Yuma and fatal crashes involving Ma- New Jersey Pinelands
The names of the pilots the 1,300-square-mile rine Corps aircraft near
CHATSWORTH, N.J. (AP) — blaze had grown to 10,000
Authorities say fire whipped acres (40 sq. kilometers)
by high winds has spread with about 75 percent
over thousands of acres of containment. Officials said
state land in New Jersey’s plumes of smoke were vis-
Pine Barrens, a forested ible from as far as Freehold,
area of coastal plain that about 40 miles (64 kilome-
stretches more than 1 mil- ters) away.
lion acres. Hajna says a portion of
State environmental pro- Route 72, the main road
tection department of- across the Pinelands, has
ficials say the blaze was been closed. No homes
reported Saturday after- or businesses are endan-
noon in Penn State Forest gered and no injuries or
in Woodland Township. mandatory evacuations
Department spokesman have been reported. The
Larry Hajna (HAY-nah) cause of the blaze is under
said Sunday afternoon the investigation.q

Spectators watch as the Spring Hill fire and backfire burns in
Woodland Township, N.J., Sunday, March, 31, 2019.
Associated Press.