BUFF 8 Posted February 14, 2008 BEAUFORT - The pilot of an AV-8B Harrier jet walked away after his plane crashed due to engine failure, the Marine Corps said Wednesday. One of three Cherry Point-based aircraft on a training flight, the Harrier went down in Open Grounds Farm in eastern Carteret County at about 1 p.m. The pilot of the single-person aircraft ejected before the crash, Marine officials confirmed. "The pilot was safe. He was able to walk away," said Maj. Shawn Haney, director of public affairs at Cherry Point. Haney said the pilot - whom the military has not identified - was returned to the Marine Corps air station Wednesday afternoon. The Harriers were part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Haney said the other two planes landed safely at Cherry Point. Chris Fore, parts manager at Open Grounds Farm, witnessed the crash and said he was the first to reach the pilot. Fore identified him as Capt. Ian Stevens. "I let him use my cell phone. He called his wife to tell her he was OK," Fore said. "Then he called his captain and said, I'm down, but so is the plane.'' Fore said he saw Harriers flying over and one appeared to be laboring. Fore saw the pilot eject and saw his parachute open. The pilot landed in ground used for a corn field, about a half-mile from the main gate of the farm. Fore said the crash happened at 1:01 p.m. He said the jet struck the ground nose-down before catching fire. An HH-46D Sea Knight rescue helicopter arrived to return the pilot to Cherry Point. Another employee of the 50,000-acre farm, production manager Antonio Cintiluciani, said workers in a corn elevator did not hear the crash, but saw a plume of smoke afterward. "It's a good spot to crash because it was far from everything." He said. "We were lucky that nothing was going on in that place." Marine Corps officials are investigating what caused the plane to lose power, according to a news release from the Camp Lejeune-based II Marine Expeditionary Force. According to the National Weather Service in Newport, stronger storms earlier Wednesday had cleared the area by the time of the crash. Though gusts had reached 45 mph at Beaufort and 48 mph at Cherry Point Wednesday morning, Beaufort reported southwest winds at 20 mph and mostly cloudy conditions at 1 p.m. when the plane crashed. The pilot is attached to the 24th MEU, which is preparing for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. His identity and the name of the Cherry Point unit to which he was assigned have yet to be released by the Marine Corps. The Harrier jet is a light attack aircraft with a maximum speed of 630 mph, according to a U.S. Navy Web site. It is used for close support of ground troops and has the capability to take off and land vertically, similar to a helicopter. Records indicate the last Cherry Point Harrier crash happened in July 2006 when a Harrier assigned to the 24th MEU went down in the Mediterranean Sea during a training mission. The pilot ejected safely. For more information on this developing story, visit the Havelock News Web site at www.havenews.com. Corey Friedman and Ken Buday of the Havelock News contributed to this story, along with Freedom ENC reporters Jannette Pippin and Sue Book. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nesher 628 Posted February 15, 2008 (edited) glad to hear the pilot walked out and was fine... what is up with all these latest crashes?? dang... Edited February 15, 2008 by Nesher Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Atreides 144 Posted February 15, 2008 I dont personally care if the a/c was worth one gazillion dollar's as long as the pilot with x number of years's (actually scratch the # of years part) got away OK, that's all that matter's. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawk MMS 0 Posted February 15, 2008 Aircraft get old (F-15's), complex propulsion system (harrier), over use/environment (Iraq/Afghanistan). I was watching a news report on F-16's in Iraq. The report stated that the aircraft are getting a major service every 2 months. this service usually takes place every 2 years at home. So many reasons for crashes. People don't have wings or gills. So submariners and pilots get all of my respect. At least the Devil Dog made it and will be able to provide CAS to the Leathernecks in the field on his scheduled deployment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BUFF 8 Posted February 15, 2008 what is up with all these latest crashes?? dang... higher tempo of use. & better reporting ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JediMaster 451 Posted February 15, 2008 Harriers have always had a higher attrition rate thanks to the VTOL aspects being less forgiving. Far more likely to write one off. Plus it glides like a brick with a large overcoat on. I wonder if it was a bird ingestion or just a mechanical/fuel problem in the engine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
