Marine chopper forced to land on sandy beach

SOLANA BEACH, Calif. – A huge Marine Corps helicopter 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 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 100-foot copter is twice the size of the humpback whales that sometimes wash up on surrounding shores. It crouched on the sand below a bluff and only a few yards from the surf line, dwarfing surfboard-topped lifeguard vehicles parked nearby.

Bing Bush and his wife, Julie, who live in a cliffside complex overlooking the beach, were in for a surprise when they stepped out their front door.

“We were just coming down for a beach walk – we come down here quite a bit – and lo and behold there’s a chopper on the beach,” Bing said, after posing for a photo in front of the chopper with his wife.

The precautionary landing came during routine training, Gunnery Sgt. Donald Bohanner said. The Marines and a local hazardous materials team removed oil that leaked from the copter to the beach, Bohanner said.

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

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