Second Helo Down This Summer At Camp Pendleton

US Marine Corps officials have identified two pilots killed in Monday's crash of a Cobra attack helicopter at Camp Pendleton in California. The Chicago Tribune reports both were Illinois residents. First Lieutenant Thomas Heitmann was a 27-year-old from Mendota, while Captain Jeffrey Bland was a 37-year-old from Champaign.

The paper reports Heitmann's decorations include the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Bland earned two Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal, Air Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, three Sea Service Deployment Ribbons and the Korean Defense Service Medal.

The helicopter reportedly went down in a remote area Monday afternoon during a training mission. The cause remains under investigation. The crash ignited a fire which burned about 120 acres. It's the second such incident of the summer. A Huey went down in the same area in July, killing one Marine and injuring five more onboard.

FMI: www.marines.mil/unit/basecamppendleton/Pages/home.aspx