Rescuers Look for 12 Aboard Marine Helicopters That Collided Off Hawaii

U.S. Marines and their Philippine counterparts jump from a U.S. Marines CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter at Ternate in Cavite province south of Manila on Feb. 18, 2003. The U.S. Coast Guard says two similar Marine helicopters have collided off the Hawaiian island of Oahu on Jan. 15, 2016. AP Photo/Bullit Marquez

HALEIWA, Hawaii—Two Marine Corps helicopters carrying six crew members each collided and went down off the Hawaiian island of Oahu while on a nighttime training mission, and rescuers searched choppy waters Friday where debris had been sighted, military officials said.

There was no immediate word on the fate of those aboard or what caused the accident.

The transport helicopters known as CH-53Es crashed just before midnight Thursday, officials said.

A Coast Guard helicopter and C-130 airplane spotted a debris field 2 1/2 miles offshore early Friday. The debris covered an area of 2 miles, Marine Capt. Timothy Irish said.

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