Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. -- An AV-8B Harrier II jet from Marine Attack Squadron-513 crashed in a residential area about one mile north of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma while returning from a training flight June 15.
The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft before it crashed at 2:49 p.m. between homes on Kuns and Ocotillo Courts. The pilot was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center as a precaution.
The aircraft was carrying four 500-pounds bombs and 300 rounds of 25-millimeter ammunition. Station Explosive Ordnance Disposal defused the bombs on site and 295 of the rounds are accounted for. All four bombs were removed the first night.
The station's Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting division, Fire Department and Provost Marshal's Office also responded to the crash in conjunction with City of Yuma and Rural Metro Fire Departments, City of Yuma Police Department and many other local emergency responders.
"The initial response by first responders was the finest I have seen in my 21 years in the Marine Corps," said Chief Warrant Officer Roger Bond, ARFF officer in-charge
Cpl. Donald Hein, ARFF crew chief, was among the first on the scene.
"We watched the aircraft go down. By the time we got to the fire two to three minutes later, we had hoses on it and we were getting the fire under control," said the Oak Ridge, N.J. native.
"We brought trucks on both sides of the house and extinguished the fire from both sides. We didn't want anybody getting real close, because we could hear the ordnance on the jet going off," he explained. "It was the first time a lot of the guys had to deal with a real crash. They all did an outstanding job."
As soon as the aircraft went down, local authorities were already taking emergency actions, said Bond.
"YPD and the Yuma Fire Department did excellent work. They blocked off roads, evacuated about 1300 people and they have been on the scene all week," said Bond, a Galion, Ohio, native. "It really says something about the people of those organizations. What they did allowed everyone else to do their jobs."
With residents removed from their homes, the American Red Cross provided aid to residents and crash-site workers alike.
"The American Red Cross provided all kinds of things," said Bond. "They also helped people who were forced out of their homes and they assisted our family advocacy program, who went door-to-door to affected residents to talk about stress management."
Civilians who also work aboard the air station also played a role in response to the aircraft mishap.
"The Base Services Division has provided for every logistical need we've encountered," said Bond. "If I needed a spaceship, I think they could get me one. No request went unfulfilled. That is a tribute to the MCAS team and the local civilian agencies."
Jerry Deppen, work lead for motor transportation, BSD, said that the job he is doing at the crash site isn't too different from his job on station.
"Remediation of crash sites is part of what we do. I've been out here since day one setting up camp and bringing out supplies," said Deppen. "We help with getting the bombs out. Once salvaging starts, we'll help with that, too."
Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Evans, VMA-513 quality assurance staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge, said the working conditions and the location of the crash has made work difficult for his Marines.
"With the harrier crashing in an urban area, it has been hard locating all the pieces. But these guys have been on top of it," said the Houston native. "We've had about twenty guys out here working eight to twelve hours a day to get things cleaned up."
The environmental and safety divisions have provided information vital for decision making and they have helped educate and calm the local residents, said Bond.
"We're bringing everything in the area down to zero contamination," said Bill Shepherd, environmental protection specialist, station environmental department. "We are going to go way beyond the standard due to the safety of the residents and the publicity of this event."
Training, such as the station's annual mass casualty drill, which focuses on teamwork between station personnel and civilian agencies paid off when the aircraft went down, said Staff Sgt. Timothy Hall, Provost Marshal's Office staff noncommissioned officer.
"The advantage we have is that the base constantly trains with local authorities," the Oshkosh, Wis., native said. "We saw the results of that training when everything fell into place and worked as it should."
The station personnel also had some valuable equipment at their disposal for situations just like this, said Hall.
"The mobile command post has worked out well. This is the first actual incident it's been used for besides a few times on base," Hall explained. "It provided one visible point for command staff to continue the flow of information."
Capt. Mitchell Rubinstein, VMA-513 aviation safety officer, said that once the crash scene is secured, the investigations begin.
"As soon as there's a crash, the aviation mishap board is activated," said the harrier pilot from Potomac, Md. "Their job is to get to the scene, find clues and determine the causal factors of the crash. There will also be a (Judge Advocate General) investigation completely separate from the safety investigation."
"This mishap is a little different because it's such a high-profile case and it's been in the national news," Rubinstein added.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.