thedrifter
02-13-08, 07:23 PM
Harrier crashes in Carteret County
2008-02-13 13:51:00
DAILY NEWS STAFF
A Cherry Point-based AV-8B Harrier has crashed in Carteret County, but the pilot ejected safely, Marine Corps officials said.
The single-person jet crashed into the Open Grounds Farm after 1 p.m., said Mike Barton, deputy director of public affairs for Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
The Harrier was part of the aviation combat element of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan within the next two months. It was one of three on a training flight when it lost engine power, according to a press release from II Marine Expeditionary Force.
The pilot was recovered and returned to Cherry Point, and the other two aircraft returned safely, according to the press release.
A farm employee witnessed the crash and was the first to reach the pilot, whom he identfied as Capt. Ian Stevens.
The witness, Chris Fore, parts manager at the farm, said he saw Harriers flying over and one appeared to be laboring. Fore saw the pilot eject and saw his parachute open. The pilot landed in ground used for a corn field, about a half-mile from the main gate of the farm.
"I let him use my cell phone. He called his wife to tell her he was OK. Then he called his captain and said, 'I'm down, but so is the plane.' "
Fore said the crash happened at 1:01 p.m. He said the jet hit the ground nose-down before catching fire.
The pilot was taken from the scene by a rescue helicopter.
Marine Corps officials are investigating what caused the plane to lose power, according to the press release.
According to the National Weather Service in Newport, stronger storms earlier Wednesday had cleared the area by the time of the crash. Though gusts had reached 45 mph at Beaufort and 48 mph at Cherry Point Wednesday morning, Beaufort reported southwest winds at 20 mph and mostly cloudy conditions at 1 p.m. when the plane went down, according to the weather service.
Open Grounds Farm is an approximatly 44,000-acre row crop operation which plants corn, soybean and winter wheat, according to the Center for the Analysis and Prediction of River Basin Environmental Systems.
Harrier jets are light attack aircraft manufactured by Boeing, according to a Marine Corps Web site. The aircraft can conduct close air support, deep air support and offesnsive and defensive anti-air warfare, according to the Web site.
The Marine Corps has seven AV-8B Harrier squadrons with 16 aircraft each, as well as one training squadron.
The last Cherry Poin Harrier crash was in June of 2006 when a jet assigned to the 24th MEU went down in the Mediterranean Sea during a training mission. The pilot ejected safely.
Stay with www.jdnews.com for the latest information on this developing story.
Ellie
2008-02-13 13:51:00
DAILY NEWS STAFF
A Cherry Point-based AV-8B Harrier has crashed in Carteret County, but the pilot ejected safely, Marine Corps officials said.
The single-person jet crashed into the Open Grounds Farm after 1 p.m., said Mike Barton, deputy director of public affairs for Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
The Harrier was part of the aviation combat element of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan within the next two months. It was one of three on a training flight when it lost engine power, according to a press release from II Marine Expeditionary Force.
The pilot was recovered and returned to Cherry Point, and the other two aircraft returned safely, according to the press release.
A farm employee witnessed the crash and was the first to reach the pilot, whom he identfied as Capt. Ian Stevens.
The witness, Chris Fore, parts manager at the farm, said he saw Harriers flying over and one appeared to be laboring. Fore saw the pilot eject and saw his parachute open. The pilot landed in ground used for a corn field, about a half-mile from the main gate of the farm.
"I let him use my cell phone. He called his wife to tell her he was OK. Then he called his captain and said, 'I'm down, but so is the plane.' "
Fore said the crash happened at 1:01 p.m. He said the jet hit the ground nose-down before catching fire.
The pilot was taken from the scene by a rescue helicopter.
Marine Corps officials are investigating what caused the plane to lose power, according to the press release.
According to the National Weather Service in Newport, stronger storms earlier Wednesday had cleared the area by the time of the crash. Though gusts had reached 45 mph at Beaufort and 48 mph at Cherry Point Wednesday morning, Beaufort reported southwest winds at 20 mph and mostly cloudy conditions at 1 p.m. when the plane went down, according to the weather service.
Open Grounds Farm is an approximatly 44,000-acre row crop operation which plants corn, soybean and winter wheat, according to the Center for the Analysis and Prediction of River Basin Environmental Systems.
Harrier jets are light attack aircraft manufactured by Boeing, according to a Marine Corps Web site. The aircraft can conduct close air support, deep air support and offesnsive and defensive anti-air warfare, according to the Web site.
The Marine Corps has seven AV-8B Harrier squadrons with 16 aircraft each, as well as one training squadron.
The last Cherry Poin Harrier crash was in June of 2006 when a jet assigned to the 24th MEU went down in the Mediterranean Sea during a training mission. The pilot ejected safely.
Stay with www.jdnews.com for the latest information on this developing story.
Ellie