San Diego, California -- A fluid leak forced the crew of a Marine helicopter on a routine training flight out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, to make a safe precautionary landing at Del Mar Shores Beach yesterday. The CH-53E Super Stallion landed around 11:30 a.m. on a strip of sand off the 700 block of South Sierra Avenue, just north of Del Mar, Sheriff Officer Lt. James Bolwerk said. The pilots and crew member aboard the aircraft were uninjured and walking around the beach following the landing in an area known as “Rock Piles.”
Preliminary investigation determined the crew of the copter decided to land due to the aircraft’s low pressure indicator alerting them, according to Bolwerk. The low pressure indicator is an alert system used when there is an issue with the engine.
“The pilots did exactly what they were supposed to do, find a good, safe place to put the aircraft down and check it out,” Rich Martindell, military aviation expert.
Marine mechanics were able to get the aircraft, assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, sufficiently patched up for it to be flown off the beach about 3:30 p.m. The pilots flew the aircraft to the west parking lot of the Del Mar Fairgrounds for further evaluation.
The CH-53, a heavy lift copter, is known to be flown out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Camp Pendleton. It is the largest and heaviest helicopter used by the United States military. The two-pilot helicopter can hold up to 37 troops while in flight.
Lifeguards and firefighters assisted military crews with shoveling oil off the beach and into yellow buckets. The beach will be open to the public today.
