Top row from left, Capt. Jack Casey, Capt. Benjamin Moulton, Capt. Miguel Nava. Bottom row from left, Sgt. Alec Langen, Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis. (U.S. Marine Corps)
WASHINGTON — Three pilots and two crew chiefs were aboard the helicopter that crashed during a training exercise in the mountains outside San Diego, the service said Friday. All five Marines were killed.
Capt. Benjamin Moulton, Capt. Jack Casey, Capt. Miguel Nava, Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis and Sgt. Alec Langen were the Marines aboard the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter that was traveling Tuesday from Creech Air Force Base in Nevada to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California, the service said. They were assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16 of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
“We have been confronted with a tragedy that is every service family’s worst fear,” said Lt. Col. Nicholas Harvey, commanding officer of squadron 361. “Our top priority now is supporting the families of our fallen heroes, and we ask for your respect and understanding as they grieve.”
Moulton, 27, was a CH-53E helicopter pilot from Emmett, Idaho. He was commissioned in March 2019 and promoted to captain last August, according to the Marines. His decorations include the National Defense Service Medal.
Casey, 26, was a CH-53E helicopter pilot from Dover, N.H. He was commissioned in May 2019 and promoted to captain last September, according to the service. His decorations include the National Defense Service Medal.
Nava, 28, was a CH-53E helicopter pilot from Traverse City, Mich. He was the longest tenured of the five fallen Marines. He was commissioned in May 2017 and promoted to captain in November 2021. His decorations include the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, according to the service.
Davis, 21, was a CH-53E helicopter crew chief from Olathe, Kan. He enlisted in the Marines in September 2019 and was promoted to lance corporal last month, the service said. His decorations include the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
Langen, 23, was a CH-53E helicopter crew chief from Chandler, Ariz. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in September 2017 and was promoted to sergeant October 2022, the service said. His decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.
An undated photo of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 flying over desert in the southwestern United States. (U.S. Marine Corps)
The helicopter was found Wednesday at about 9 a.m. local time in Pine Valley, Calif., according to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The service announced Thursday morning that all five Marines were confirmed dead.
Marine Corps leaders, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and President Joe Biden expressed their condolences.
“My prayers are with these brave Marines and their families, loved ones and teammates,” Austin said Thursday. “As the Marine Corps investigates this deadly crash, it is yet another reminder that across our nation and the world our selfless service members put their lives on the line every day to keep our country safe.”
Citing hazardous terrain and weather at the crash site, Col. James C. Ford, operations officer with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said the ground recovery efforts will take place over coming weeks as an investigation into the crash is conducted.
The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is headquartered at the Miramar base, has been coordinating search and rescue efforts with federal, state and local agencies such as the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol. An investigation into the crash is underway.
The last known contact with the helicopter was at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, when waves of downpours and snow were hitting the region, Mike Cornette of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told CBS 8 news.
The area is in the Cuyamaca Mountains at an elevation of about 3,700 feet and saw as much 8 inches of accumulating snow within hours Tuesday night and early Wednesday. More snow fell Wednesday night, forecasters said.
The area includes San Diego County’s second highest mountain, Cuyamaca Peak, at 6,512 feet, and is also near the Cleveland National Forest, which covers 720 square miles with much of it steep and rocky, and with limited trails.
The Super Stallion is among the largest and heaviest helicopters flown by the U.S. military. It was designed to carry up to 55 troops or about 16 tons of cargo.
The aircraft went through a period of upgrades before being replaced by a newer version, the CH-53K King Stallion.
The Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 was formed in 1952, nicknamed the “Flying Tigers.” The squadron has flown the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter since 1990.
In 2005, a Super Stallion went down in a sandstorm in Iraq that killed 31 people on board.
Stars and Stripes reporter Gary Warner contributed to this report.
