Navy air controllers faulted for midair crash
7 Coast Guardsmen, 2 Marines were killed in collision off California coast
By Elliot Spagat - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Aug 24, 2010 15:53:46 EDT
SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard says a failure by Navy air traffic controllers to follow standard procedures contributed to a midair collision that killed seven Coast Guard members and two Marines off Southern California last year.
The Coast Guard report released Tuesday says air traffic controllers failed to notify the pilot of one of its planes that four Marine helicopters were in the area. The Marine aviators were also unaware of the Coast Guard plane’s presence.
The report says there is no single reason for last October’s crash or person to blame. It makes a series of recommendations to improve safety in the largely unregulated airspace.