CH-53 - Emergency Landing Behind Neighbors House!

[rescue161]

I live between Camp Lejeune/New River and Cherry Point, so we have military aircraft flying over the house daily. Usually very close and rattling the windows when they do, but this is a first. My Wife said that it circled our house and the neighbors house before setting down in the field behind their house. It sat there for a little more than two days before they fixed it and flew away. This happened between 11-13 Feb, so we felt sorry for the poor Marines that had to stand watch in the cold. They were very lucky that they were near a spot to put it down safely and we are very glad that nobody got hurt.

 

[a417]

Hahaha, must have been brutal!

 

[rescue161]

It was cold at night for sure...lol At least to us it was, especially without any heat.

 

[rescue161]

I guess it wasn't as cold on those particular nights, but the temp was fluctuating from 20s/30s some nights and 50s/60s others. I guess we were just in the mindset of it being just as cold as it had been the day before. Either way, it sucked for the Marines that had to stay with that bird 24/7.

 

[W8RMH]

They are Marines, they are tough, Semper Fi. Too bad you didn't get video.

 

[rescue161]

Would have been cool, but it happened right before I got home and when they left, I was at work.

 

[RRR]

You work for 3 days straight?

 

[rescue161]

No. It did the emergency landing just before I got home and the helicopter sat there for two days so it was there every day when I'd come home from work. On the third day, they fixed it and flew away while I was at work.

 

[mmckenna]

Marines can handle it.
In fact, I'd be willing to say they had a bit of fun getting to do something a bit out of the ordinary. I'm betting the helicopter mechanics (whatever the hell the MOS is for that in the marines) enjoyed getting to do the work, also.

 

[rescue161]

Oh, I know all about Marines. I spent 20 years as a Fleet Marine Forces Hospital Corpsman. I just know it sucked when we got tasked with "watch" in an out of the ordinary place without normal cover. Sleeping in a CH53 without heat and eating MREs sucks, especially when you know that you're in CONUS and you're not deployed.

 

[mmckenna]

Oh, I know all about Marines. I spent 20 years as a Fleet Marine Forces Hospital Corpsman. I just know it sucked when we got tasked with "watch" in an out of the ordinary place without normal cover. Sleeping in a CH53 without heat and eating MREs sucks, especially when you know that you're in CONUS and you're not deployed.

Standing 4 hour watches twice a day on the flying bridge of a 180' ship in the middle of the Bering Sea in December sucks. Guarding a helicopter on farm land in NC is a mild inconvenience.

But hey, that's why we all got paid the big bucks, right?

 

[W8RMH]

It could have been worse, they could have had to land in the freezing mountains of Afghanistan and had to deal with snipers and RPGs.