Marine Helicopter Is Forced To Land On SoCal Beach

SOLANA BEACH (AP) — A Marine Corps helicopter twice the size of a humpback whale made an emergency landing on a Southern California beach on Wednesday, bringing no damages or injuries but leaving an unforgettable spectacle for surrounding swimmers and sunbathers.

The 100-foot CH-53E Super Stallion landed on the shore of this northern San Diego County town shortly after 11:30 a.m. after a low oil-pressure indicator light went on in the cockpit, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar said in a statement.

"The aircraft was conducting routine training, and the pilots landed the aircraft safely" on the beach, the statement said.

The big copter crouched on the sand below a bluff and only a few yards from the surf line, dwarfing surfboard-topped lifeguard vehicles parked nearby.

The air base said a hazardous-material team was sent to the scene about 14 miles northwest of San Diego to clean up the site and examine the aircraft

Four hours after the landing, a crowd with camera phones aloft gathered to watch it take off again and head back to the Miramar base amid a storm of sand and a deafening roar.

The Super Stallion is the largest and heaviest helicopter in the U.S. military. It has three engines, can travel at more than 170 mph and can carry a crew of four.

It is assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, and its main job is transporting heavy equipment.

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