Video Of Marine Chopper Crash Released

In December 1999, a Marine helicopter crashed while on a training exercise, killing seven of the 18 men on board.

VIDEO

The video shows the helicopter's landing gear snagged on net before crash. CBS exclusive video (note: video contains strong language) search and rescue efforts after crash

In a CBS exclusive, the network aired Wednesday video that captured the crash of the CH-46 Sea Knight chopper as it was taking off.

The landing gear of the helicopter apparently snagged a cargo net on the deck of the ship seconds before it crashed into the sea.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the training exercise is a common one for troops training to deploy the Persian Gulf, where they might be called upon to board a hostile ship to look for weapons, drugs or oil. Navy SEALs arrive in fast-moving boats and scale the ship while Marines rappel down a rope from a hovering helicopter.

Like many helicopters, the CH-46 is top-heavy and tends to flip upside down and sink quickly despite being equipped with flotation devices, the newspaper said.

None of the 11 who survived were seriously injured.

The seven men killed in the crash were Cpl. Mark M. Baca, 22, of Arvada, Colo.; Staff Sgt. William Dame, 33, of Yuma, Ariz.; Staff Sgt. David E. Galloway, 28, of Oregon City, Oreg.; Gunnery Sgt. James P. Paige, 37, Jr. of Middlesex, N.J.; Staff Sgt. Vincent Sabasteanksi, 34, of Cumberland, Maine; Staff Sgt. Jeffery Starling, 27, of South Dayton, Fla.; Navy Petty Officer Jay J. Asis, 33, of Quezon City, the Philippines, a medical corpsman.

Previous Stories from Channel 2000:

• December 17, 1999: Survivors Recount Marine Chopper Crash
• Dec. 16, 1999: Searchers Find Marine Chopper Wreckage
• Dec. 11, 1999: Presumed-Dead Marines Identified
• Dec. 9, 1999: Military Chopper Crashes Off The Coast