Universal Ramblings

A coast guard plane met with an accident following a collision with a military helicopter. This happened at around 7.10pm, on the Southern coast of California, at a distance of about 15 miles east to San Clemente Island. There were many eyewitnesses to the crash. They said it was as though a ball of flame had erupted suddenly from the sky. For a short while, the sky was illuminated with the fireball and then fell back to darkness.

Nine people went missing following the accident. As per the spokesman Ian Gregor of Federal Aviation Administration, a pilot reported the incident when he spotted a fireball around the accident site. As per the prima facie reports, there were seven people on C-130, the Coast Guard Plane, and 2 on AH-1 Cobra, a marine plane.

Though Cpl. Michael Stevens, the spokesman of Marine Corps did mention the crash of AH-1 Cobra, there were no details coming from him, except that the search was on, along with the rescue mission.

San Clemente Island is at the southern end of eight Channel Islands and is approximately at a distance of 68 miles west to San Diego.

Rescue operations are underway. However, the chances of survival of those met with the crash are remote. The accident happened in spite of the good weather conditions.

The Coast Guard C-130, was actually engaged in law enforcement, search and rescue operations and logistic missions.

As per Captain Thomas Farris from Coast Guard, at the time of crash, the plane was on the look out for a person who had tried to row a vessel from one island to another in the channel.

The search and rescue operators have not found any remains of the body, this far. Since the weather conditions are favorable, it is hoped that the search and rescue operation would find some survivors.