In the third incident involving Marine Corps aircraft in less than 24 hours, a United States Marine Corps CH-53 helicopter was damaged late Tuesday while landing in the East African country of Djibouti, in the vicinity of Arta Beach, according to a spokesman for the US military.
The aircraft “sustained minor structural damage pending further assessment,” US Navy Cdr. Bill Urban, a spokesman for US Naval Forces Central Command, told CNN.
Urban added the helicopter’s crew was uninjured in the incident.
The incident took place the same day another Marine Corps CH-53 crashed in the vicinity of Naval Air Facility El Centro in California, killing four crewmembers.
A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II jet crashed Tuesday during takeoff from Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport. The pilot was able to eject and is currently being treated.
Both the Harrier and the CH-53 that was damaged late Tuesday were participating in Alligator Dagger, a training exercise in international waters off the coast of Djibouti.
The United States has a large military presence in Djibouti based at Camp Lemonnier, where some 4,000 US personnel are stationed.
