ABCNews.com

7 Marines Die in Nighttime Chopper Collision

PHOTO: Two U.S. Marine AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit training.

Seven Marines were killed during night training west of Yuma, Ariz., Wednesday when two helicopters collided, the Marine Corps told ABC News.

Six of the Marines were from Camp Pendleton and one was from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

The crash occured around 8 p.m. and the helicopters, belonging to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, were identified as a two seat Cobra attack helicopter and an UH-1 trooper carrier, commonly known as a Huey.

Steve Briggs/U.S. Navy/Getty Images
Two U.S. Marine AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters... View Full Size
PHOTO: Two U.S. Marine AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit training.
Steve Briggs/U.S. Navy/Getty Images
Two U.S. Marine AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit training.
Seal Team Six Mourn Loss of Service Members Watch Video
Chopper Crash Near Las Vegas Kills 5 Watch Video
Helicopter Crashes Installing Tree Watch Video

The names of those who died in the crash will not be released by the Marine Corps until their next of kin have been notified.

The helicopters went down along the California/Arizona border just outside of the Yuma Training Range Complex.

Yuma is an area used extensively for helicopter and fighter jet training because the desert landscape is similar to Afghanistan.

ABC News' Martha Raddatz and Luis Martinez contributed to this report.

on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook
You are using an outdated version of Internet Explorer. Please click here to upgrade your browser in order to comment.
blog comments powered by Disqus
 
You Might Also Like...
Connect with World News
Social Tools Facebook Twitter Twitter Connect with World News YouTube RSS
ABC News Newsletters
 
Today in ABC News
1