Marine helicopter crash, 1 killed and 9 hurt

An investigation is underway this morning after a helicopter crash at Camp Lejeune Wednesday night.

One Marine was killed and nine others were injured during a training exercise at the North Carolina base.

Officials said a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter experienced a “hard landing” at about 9 p.m. Wednesday. The helicopter is the Marine Corps’ primary heavy lift helicopter, with a top speed of 172 mph.

According to WRAL, sixteen Marines were on the chopper assigned to “Heavy Helicopter Squadron-464, Marine Aircraft group-29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.”

Of the nine who were hurt, one is in serious condition. Eight others have non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to be released today, according to officials who spoke with NBC News.

The name of the Marine who died has not yet been released.  No other details were given about the circumstances surrounding the crash. An investigation into the accident is still underway.’

This is the second hard landing crash of a military helicopter this week. Wednesday, NBC reported that   a Black Hawk helicopter went down in a heavily wooded area south of Denver, with four people on board. The soldiers from Fort Carson were on a routine training mission on US Forest Service land.

That cause is also under investigation.  None of the injuries in that accident were life threatening.