One Marine killed, 11 hurt in helicopter accident in North
Carolina
One U.S. Marine was killed and 11 were injured when a
helicopter made a hard landing during a training exercise at Camp Lejeune in
North Carolina, the Marines said on today.
The accident, which occurred around 9 p.m. on Wednesday with
a CH-53E helicopter, is under investigation, the Marines said in a statement.
A hard landing occurs when an aircraft touches down with
greater force and speed than normal, typically after a particularly fast or
steep descent, according to the statement.
Of the injured, two were hospitalized in stable condition.
Nine were scheduled to be released after medical evaluation, the statement said.
The command said it was working to contact families of the
Marines involved and that the name of the service member who was killed will
not be released for 24 hours.
"We want to ensure the Marines and family members of
the units involved in the mishap have easy access to any help they may need
after this tragic event," Captain Kendra Motz said in the statement.
It could take weeks or months to complete the investigation,
the Marines said.
