Seven Marines Dead After Midair Helicopter Collision

Bethany Whitfield

Friday, February 24, 2012 at 09:49 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Seven Marines died in a mid-air collision between an AH-1 Super Cobra and a UH-1Y Huey helicopter during a routine training exercise.
The incident occurred Wednesday night around 8 p.m. in a remote training region west of the Chocolate Mountains in California, near Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
The cause of the collision is under investigation, though limited visibility due to a "brownout" (thick dust) may have been a factor, and there were no survivors.
This crash follows a series of other recent fatal training accidents involving the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in the same region.

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Seven Marines were killed Wednesday night when an AH-1 Super Cobra and a UH-1Y Huey collided midair during a routine training exercise at the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona.

According to the Marine Corps, the collision occurred in a remote training region west of the Chocolate Mountains in California. The crash occurred around 8 p.m., and there were no survivors. The Marine Corps said many initial details of the crash are still emerging and has not yet revealed much information regarding what caused the collision. Authorities say weather was not likely a factor, but limited visibility may have played a role due brownout caused by thick brown dust in the area.