Marine Corps Report Cites Pilot Error in Helicopter Crash That Killed 5 in California

The investigators confirmed there was no evidence of material or mechanical failure in the helicopter.

A Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter flies during training at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Feb. 6, 2024. K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP

Pilot error was the root cause of a military helicopter crash near Pine Valley, California, last year that claimed the lives of five U.S. Marines, an investigation has found.

The CH-53E Super Stallion, callsign “TIGER 43,” was conducting a routine flight from Imperial County Airfield to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar when it crashed into a mountain ridge on Feb. 6, 2024.