Sole Survivor Listed In Stable Condition

Three Marines and one Navy sailor were lost Thursday, and a fifth injured, when their HH-1N Huey helicopter impacted terrain during a training flight near Yuma, AZ.

The Huey was equipped for search and rescue (SAR) operations, and the crew was conducting a routine training flight near the US Army Yuma Proving Ground when the accident occurred Thursday afternoon.

Officials identified the victims as Major Cesar Y. Freitas, Captain Bradley E. Walters, Sergeant Charles L. Osgood, and Navy Air Crewman Brendon O. Sandburg. Lance Corporal Brian D. Stahlhut, the sole survivor of the accident, is listed in fair condition at a nearby hospital, according to the MCAS Yuma website.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation. Air station spokesman Lance Cpl. Daniel Angel told the Yuma Sun he did not know the time of the accident, or when the downed helicopter was found. 

The Huey, which was proven as a capable gunship and evacuation helicopter in Vietnam, is capable of operating in high altitude areas and in high winds, and continues to be an integral part of the US military's helicopter fleet.

Search and rescue helicopters at the Yuma base are tasked with providing quick response rescue operations for military accidents in and around MCAS Yuma, the Sun reports. The helicopters also respond to civilian accidents within a 100 mile radius from the base. The SAR operations at Yuma typically average 20 to 40 rescues a year.

"On behalf of all the men and women aboard MCAS Yuma, we extend our deepest sympathies to all the family members involved in this tragedy," Sgt. Ryan O'Hare, of the base's public relations office, told the Sun.

"These Marines and sailor were of the highest caliber and we will always remember their service to the Marine Corps, Navy and nation they proudly served," he said. "These service members gave their lives to save the lives of others. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with their families during this very tragic time."

Yuma Mayor Larry Nelson stressed the selfless nature of the helicopter crew. "They put their lives on the line all the time. It's just sad that they lost their lives training to prepare for emergencies, to save the lives of others. These are what I call some real heroes." he told the Sun.

The last accident near the Yuma base occurred in June 2005, when a Harrier came down in a Yuma neighborhood. The accident resulted in no injury or death. A subsequent investigation showed the jet's control system failed.

"We counted our blessings with the crash of the Harrier and we have this happen," Nelson told the Sun. "You just never want to see a day like this come by."

MCAS Yuma is an aviation training base home to many squadrons specializing in air-to-ground training for US and NATO forces. Approximately 5,500 active-duty Marines and Navy sailors are stationed there.

FMI: www.yuma.usmc.mil/