4 Marines killed in helicopter crash near Mexican border were practicing landings

April 05--MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR -- Four Marines from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing were killed when a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed near El Centro, military officials confirmed Wednesday, April 4.

The Marines departed the Strategic Expeditionary Landing Field at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms for squadron training, which included aircraft landings in "unimproved zones" -- unpaved areas -- said Capt. Morgan Frazer, with the 3rd MAW.

The crash occurred at 2:35 p.m. Tuesday, approximately 15 miles west of El Centro. The cause is under investigation.

Names of the Marines will be withheld until 24 hours after next-of-kin are notified, Frazer said.

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is based at Miramar. There are also units at Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump tweeted, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the four U.S. Marines from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing who lost their lives in yesterday's Southern California helicopter crash. We pray for their families, and our great @USMC."

Trump recently visited Miramar and spoke to hundreds from the 3rd MAW, promising new aircraft and financial support.

Tuesday's helicopter crash near the San Diego-Mexico border is the deadliest Marine Corps crash since 15 Marines and one sailor died when the C-130 in which they were flying crashed into a Mississippi bean field in July.

Capt. Sean Endecott Elliott, whose parents live in San Juan Capistrano, was the co-pilot in that crash. He was part of the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 452, a reserve KC-130T squadron, based out of Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y.

The plane flew from there to Cherry Point, N.C., where it picked up six Marines and a Navy corpsman from Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command's elite 2nd Marine Raider Battalion. It was headed to Yuma for pre-deployment training.

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