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Harrier crashes in Carteret County, North Carolina

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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.

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glad to hear the pilot walked out and was fine...

what is up with all these latest crashes?? dang...

Edited by Nesher

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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.

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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.

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what is up with all these latest crashes?? dang...

 

higher tempo of use.

& better reporting ... :wink:

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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. :wink:

 

I wonder if it was a bird ingestion or just a mechanical/fuel problem in the engine.

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