Navy Says Two Copters Didn’t Collide
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BRIDGEPORT, Calif. — Strong winds forced two U.S. Navy helicopters to make rough landings on a forested slope in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, slightly injuring all nine people on board, officials said Friday.
A Navy spokesman disputed initial reports that the two CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters had collided when they landed near Lobdell Lake in the Sweetwater Mountains about 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
“It was not a collision, but a hard landing,” said Navy spokesman Bob Howard. “They were flying in line, one forward and one aft, and a severe downdraft forced the one in back down first, and then the one in front was forced down.”
The incident remained under investigation by the Navy to determine the exact cause of the incident, Howard said.
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