Coast Guard officials pin hopes on flight recorders

Editor note; For those of you who track callsigns, the CG C-130 that was lost was CG 1705 per an official USCG message.

And from the Sacramento Bee online website:

U.S. Coast Guard officials say searchers are turning their attention to finding aircraft flight recorder boxes for clues into the cause of the crash Thursday of a Coast Guard search plane and a Marine helicopter over the ocean near San Diego.

Searchers had found no trace of either aircraft's crew as of Monday. The Coast Guard C-130 carried seven; the helicopter, two.

A memorial service is being planned Friday at McClellan Air Park in North Highlands, home base for the rescue plane. Coast Guard officials on Monday said they have not decided whether the memorial will be public or private.

The Coast Guard plane (CG 1705) was on a search and rescue mission in a military training flight, or "Warning Area," called Whiskey 291. The Marine helicopter was one of several helicopters on a training mission in the area.

The flight recorders are in 2,400 feet of water and may be difficult to retrieve, Coast Guard Lt. Josh Nelson said. A Coast Guard-Marine mishap investigation panel has been established to analyze clues for the cause of the crash, Nelson said.

And the heros lost in the tragedy:

Crash related deaths: Aboard USCG 1705:
LCDR Che J. Barnes, aircraft commander (CG Aviator #3436)
LT Adam W. Bryant, co-pilot (CG Aviator #3935)
AMTC John F. Seidman, flight engineer
AET2 Carl P. Grigonis, navigator
AET2 Monica L. Beacham, radio operator
AMT2 Jason S. Moletzsky, air crew
AMT3 Danny R. Kreder II, drop master

Aboard the Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 39 of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing):

Major Samuel Leigh
1st Lt. Thomas Claiborne

Air Station the CG aircraft and/or crew were assigned to: Air Station Sacramento, California

Aircraft type and Coast Guard tail number: Lockheed HC-130H Hercules, 1705*

Location of the incident: About 50 miles off San Diego and 5 miles east of San Clemente Island

Description of the incident: The Coast Guard C-130 1705, with a crew of seven, was involved in a midair collision with a Marine AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter, with a crew of two. The collision occurred around 7 p.m. about 50 miles off the San Diego County coast and 15 miles east of San Clemente Island. The C-130 was engaged in a search for a missing person while the helicopter was involved in a training exercise. The active search for survivors was suspended on Sunday Nov 1, however the search continues for any wreckage that could aid in the investigation into the cause of the accident.

Search Continues for T-34 Instructor Pilots

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The search for two instructor pilots of Training Squadron 28 continues Oct. 30 after losing contact with them approximately 3:20 p.m. Oct. 28.

Lt. John Joseph Houston and Lt. Bret Travis Miller left Naval Air Station Corpus Christi on a routine training mission in the area of Rockport-Aransas County Airport, Texas.

Local Navy, Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection Agency and other government agencies are using surface and airborne assets to conduct the search. The search is from Port Aransas to Port O'Connor, from 30 miles offshore to 25 miles inland and surrounding bays.

Army-Navy Joint Training Incident at Sea

NORFOLK (NNS) -- One service member is dead and eight are injured following a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter crash on the Navy fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8) at approximately 8:00 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 22, 20 nautical miles off the coast from Fort Story, Virginia.

The crash occurred during routine training operations involving the Army helicopter and members of an East Coast based Naval Special Warfare Unit.

Injured service members were evacuated from USNS Arctic by a second Army helicopter participating in the training and taken to a local Norfolk hospital for treatment.

USNS Arctic has returned to Naval Station Norfolk and the damaged helicopter remains onboard.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Blue Angel Pilot Dies in Beaufort Crash

The Navy has officially announced that LCDR Kevin J. Davis (Callsign Kojack) was killed in an accident that occurred yesterday at MCAS Beaufort, SC. LCDR Davis flew the #6 opposing solo aircraft, as I previously reported, during Blues performances.

The aircraft crashed during the final minutes of an air show at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., at approximately 4 p.m. EDT, April 21.

The pilot of the jet was joining the Delta formation for the final maneuver of the aerial demonstration when the mishap occurred. It was his second year on the team, and first year as a demonstration pilot.

The other five Blue Angel jets were not involved in the incident and landed safely moments later.

The crash occurred approximately three miles outside the air station in the vicinity of Pine Grove Rd. and White Pine Rd. One civilian on the ground reported minor injuries and was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Some houses in the area received damage, the extent of which is unclear at this time.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation. And the Blue Angel Performance Schedule has been suspended.

LCDR Kevin J. Davis Bio
Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis was a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Reading Memorial High School in 1992 where he played football and was active with the Civil Air Patrol. He attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science with honors in 1996.

Kevin reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, for Officer Candidate School and aviation indoctrination in September 1996. He completed primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and transferred to NAS Meridian, Mississippi, for intermediate and advanced flight training. While there, he flew the T-2C Buckeye and TA-4J Skyhawk, and received his wings of gold in June 1999.

Kevin reported to Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) at NAS Oceana, Virginia, for training in the F-14 Tomcat and was the “Top Stick” in his class. In July 2000 he reported to the VF-11 “Red Rippers” where he completed deployments aboard the aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). While with the “Red Rippers,” Kevin served as the airframes/corrosion branch officer, air-to-ground training officer and head landing signals officer. His deployments included extended operations in the North Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In July 2003, Kevin transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet through Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125) at NAS Lemoore, California, and then reported to the Fighter Composite Squadron (VFC-12) “Omars,” stationed at NAS Oceana, Virginia. While at VFC-12, Kevin served as a Navy adversary pilot providing valuable air-to-air training for fleet squadrons. In December of 2004, Kevin graduated from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) as an adversary pilot. During his tour at VFC-12, Kevin worked as the schedules officer, legal officer, FRS/SFARP officer and assistant operations officer.

Kevin joined the Blue Angels in September 2005. He accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours and 200 carrier arrested landings. His decorations included the Air Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various personal and unit awards.

F-16 Crashes in the Florida Straits

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the Air Force Reserve Command's 482nd Fighter Wing here crashed about 11:05 a.m. EDT on 12 March 2007 approximately 75 miles south-southeast of Homestead in the Florida Straits. The aircraft was from the 93rd Fighter Squadron. At the time of the accident, it was flying a routine training mission. The pilot ejected safely and was successfully rescued.