Twenty-five troops escaped with minor injuries after a helicopter carrying US Marines crashed at sea on Monday while attempting to land on an amphibious transport dock.
Assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter
was carrying 25 people, including 17 Marines and eight Navy Sailors, back to the USS Mesa Verde from a training exercise in Djibouti when the incident occurred.
As the chopper was about to land on the ship in the Gulf of Aden, it crashed and ended up in the ocean. The U.S. Naval Forces said the crash was not triggered by hostile attacks.
All soldiers on board were rescued and several who suffered minor injuries received medical attention on the ship.
The transport dock was deployed to the Persian Gulf in June as militant group Islamic State advanced toward Baghdad.
