Harrier Pilot rescued from the Atlantic, from CNN

[testforecho2112]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Coast Guard rescued a Marine pilot Tuesday after his aircraft plummeted into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of St. Augustine, Florida.

The Marine, who was in the water for more than four hours, was returned to Florida for medical treatment.

The Coast Guard said the pilot was suffering from mild hypothermia, but he appeared to be in good condition.

The U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier went into the water about 20 miles east of St. Augustine. Witnesses reported seeing a parachute deploy from the aircraft, and the pilot's wingman saw him eject, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard and Navy began searching for survivors immediately.

Coast Guard rescuers transported the pilot to Naval Station Mayport, near Jacksonville, Florida, where the rescuers are stationed.

The Harrier "jump jet" is a single-seat combat aircraft that can take off and land vertically, giving it the flexibility to operate from a variety of ships and makeshift airfields.

Because it can hover in midair, or fly at near-supersonic speeds, it is particularly well suited for combat air support over Marine ground troops, according to the Marine Corps Web site.

The plane was based at the Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, North Carolina, and was on a routine training mission, Marine officials said.:D

[yellowwing]

I saw the initial report on CNN "this just in". I was thinking that it is odd that CNN knew it and is informing us, while our unfortunate Aviator was still in the water hoping like hell that rescue would come swiftly.

[hrscowboy]

In the water for more than 4 hours what kind of crap is that? whats with the coast guard being so slow. if that would have been Mag 16 the minute that bird went down we would have been up and on the way. Done alot of those medi-vacs across the pond got real good at it.. humm maybe the Coast guard needs some more training..

[thedrifter]

Pilot's training pays off
December 07,2005
BY CHRIS MAZZOLINI
DAILY NEWS STAFF

A Cherry Point pilot was in good condition Tuesday after his AV-8B Harrier crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Florida.

The Harrier crashed about 9:20 a.m., and the pilot was rescued about 1:30 p.m., Coast Guard spokesman Bobby Nash told The Associated Press. The pilot, assigned to Marine Attack Training Squadron 203, was taken to Mayport naval station in Florida for medical tests.

The pilot, whose name was not released, was flying a routine training mission with another Harrier jet when something went awry, the AP reported. The other pilot saw him parachuting to the sea after ejecting.

The Coast Guard said the pilot was suffering from mild hypothermia, but he appeared to be in good condition. A 47-foot motor lifeboat pulled the pilot from the water, the Coast Guard reported.

The AV-8B Harrier is a light-attack, fixed-wing aircraft that can take off and land vertically. Although it is one of the U.S. military's most recognized aircraft, the $23.7 million plane has had problems. A Los Angeles Times report in 2004 found that at least 45 Marines have died in 148 non-combat Harrier crashes in the 30 years the jet has been in service.

Cherry Point, home to three Harrier squadrons and one training squadron, has seen six crashes since 2001, including the latest. Only one incident was fatal, a 2001 crash that killed two pilots while their TAV-8B Harrier was attempting to land.

In July, a Harrier crashed in Pamlico County. The pilot, who ejected safely, was rescued by hunters.

Four Harriers from the Marine Corps' Yuma (Ariz.) Air Station have crashed in recent years. A June crash involved a fully armed plane. In each case, the pilot ejected safely.

Lt. Col. Tom Dougherty III, commander of Cherry Point's Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron, said pilots train extensively for ejection over water. Training begins in their initial flight school and includes classroom and in-water training. It covers everything from ejection to how to safely land and survive in the water.

They also learn how to use survival equipment such as the personal flotation device a pilot wears and a raft that deploys from the ejected seat. Dougherty said pilots are also taught how to clear the parachute so they don't become tangled and how to properly climb into the one-man raft.

Pilots must repeat the entire course every four years, Dougherty said.

"You train in this every four years and when it happens in an emergency, it comes up like second nature," he said.

Once on the raft, a pilot has equipment to aid his or her rescue. Items include a two-way radio, flares, a strobe light that can be strapped to the pilot's helmet and a dye that can be put in the water to create a large green spot.

Ejecting from a fast-moving jet can sometimes render a pilot unconscious. In this case, a Sea Water Activated Release System, or SEAWARS, automatically releases the parachute and inflates the raft once it touches saltwater.

Ellie

[testforecho2112]

Any one got any updates on this Marines current status?

Shaffer, you hear anything on it?

Bill