Coast Guard C-130 And Marine Super Cobra Collided In Flight

Coast Guard and Navy assets are searching for survivors following the mid-air collision of a Coast Guard C-130 and a Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra off San Clemente Island Thursday night. There were 7 people aboard the C-130, and the Cobra carried a crew of 2.

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Multiple media sources including The Associated Press say the C-130 was engaged in a SAR mission, searching for a small boat missing since Wednesday off California's Channel Islands, at the time of the collision. The accident was reported about 1950 PDT. A pilot in the area reported seeing a fireball in the area of the crash about 50 miles off the coast of San Diego, and the Coast Guard reports finding wreckage in the area.

Miramar Marine Corps Air Station spokesman Corporal Michael Stevens said the AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter was on a training mission when it went down. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta Disco said the missing Coast Guard plane and its crew are from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento.

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Coast Guard and Navy personnel searched through the night. Three Coast Guard cutters and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter were sent to the area to search for survivors. The Navy sent four vessels and multiple helicopters.

FMI: www.uscg.mil, www.navy.mil