Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion - Accidents and Incidents

Accidents and Incidents

Due to its large size and troop capacity, aerial accidents that involve CH-53 helicopters were some of the deadliest helicopter accidents ever.

• On 10 May 1977, a CH-53 crashed in Israel, resulting in the deaths of 54 people.
• On 21 October 1977, 31 US Marines serving in Operation Fortress Lightning were killed in a CH-53 crash in Mindoro, Philippines during sling load operations due to a design flaw in the tail rotor drive.
• On 27 April 1983, a CH-53D crashed in the Atlantic off the coast of Virginia. The crash resulted in the drowning of Marine First Lieutenant David A. Boyle. The suit brought by Boyle's father went to the Supreme Court.
• On 24 March, 1984: A CH-53D crashes into a mountain in Korea during a night troop operation, killing 29.
• On 6 May, 1985, a CH-53D experienced a transmission failure and fell into Sea of Japan while returning to Futenma AB from Iwakuni AB, Yamaguchi Prefecture, killing 17. It belonged to the 462nd Helicopter Squadron, 36th Wing, 1st Group, USMC, based at Futenma AB.
• On 20 March, 1989, a Sea Stallion crashed while on maneuvers off P'ohang, a town on the mountainous east coast of South Korea killing 22. Sixteen other Marines, including one on the ground, were injured in the crash.
• On 18 May, 1990, A Marine Corps CH-53D Sea Stallion en route to its base at the Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin crashed in Imperial County, killing one crew member and injuring five others. At the time in 1990, more than 200 servicemen had been killed in accidents involving the CH-53A, CH-53D and CH-53E since 1969.
• On 14 March 1994, A Marine officer was killed and four Marines were injured when their Tustin-based CH-53D landed tail-first and burst into flames on a military runway in Northern California.
• On 4 February 1997, two CH-53s collided in the "Helicopter Disaster" in Israel. A total of 73 people died in the accident.
• On 13 August 2004 a US Marine CH-53D from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma crashed into Okinawa International University on Okinawa, Japan due to a maintenance error. The crash caused no serious damage or injuries but was a major international incident because of strained relations about the US use of Futenma.
• On 26 July 2010, an Israeli CH-53 crashed during a training flight in the Carpathian mountains in Romania killing 6 Israeli soldiers and one Romanian.
• On 29 March 2011, a Marine CH-53D from MCBH Kaneohe Bay crashed into the bay, killing 1 and injuring 3.
• On 19 January 2012, a Marine CH-53 crashed in southern Afghanistan. Six International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops, all U.S. Marines were killed in the accident.