The Nation : Marine Pilots to Halt Flying, Take Class

Because a recent string of military aircraft accidents can be largely blamed on human error, the commandant of the Marine Corps ordered all Marine pilots to leave their cockpits for a two-day safety refresher course over the next two weeks. Gen. Alfred M. Gray Jr. said that in the seven recent accidents, which claimed the lives of 45 Marines, “air crew error predominates and most likely will be a primary cause in all these mishaps.” Aircraft and crews based at Tustin and El Toro Marine Corps air stations in Orange County have been involved in three of the fatal helicopter accidents, accounting for 25 of the fatalities. One of the accidents involved a Marine Corps reserve unit based at El Toro, and the other two in South Korea involved personnel and an aircraft from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at El Toro and Tustin. Gray’s order affects 1,200 fighters, observation planes and helicopters in 87 aviation squadrons.