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| Date: | Thursday 8 January 1987 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion |
| Owner/operator: | USMC |
| Registration: | 162008 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | desert near the Salton Sea in Imperial County - |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
A Tustin CH-53E was on a routine training mission when it crashed and burned in the desert near the Salton Sea in Imperial County. Five crew members were killed.
The Navy found the pilot in the Salton Sea crash, Lance Cpl. Thomas Baddeley lost his bearings in a sand storm created by the helicopter's rotors.
But the classified report revealed the impact of the helicopter with the ground was not sufficient to kill most of the Marines. They were killed by the fire that erupted when two auxiliary fuel tanks carried under the chopper's belly were unable to withstand the crash, the Register said.
Sources:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-02-15-mn-3503-story.html
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/02/21/Helicopter-fuel-tank-design-blamed-for-Marines-death/2496572418000/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Nov-2024 15:33 | SikFan | Updated [Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 15-Nov-2024 14:36 | SikFan | Updated [Other fatalities, Source, Narrative, ] |
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