THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 5, 1997 TAG: 9702050058
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A3 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: JACKSONVILLE, N.C. LENGTH: 21 lines
A Marine Corps investigation blamed a last-minute route change and problems with night-vision goggles for a collision of two military helicopters that killed 14 servicemen last year.
The pilots couldn't see because street and other lights interfered with their goggles, the report said.
The CH-46E Sea Knight transport helicopter and an AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter crashed May 10 as war exercises opened at Camp Lajeune with thousands of troops from the United States and Britain.
The pilot and co-pilot of the CH-46E were the only survivors. They were cleared of wrongdoing.
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT MILITARY ACCIDENT HELICOPTER INJURIES
FATALITIES INVESTIGATION