10/18/2025
West Coast-based AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter crashed in a Southern California desert during a training flight on Thursday evening, the Marine Corps said.
One pilot was taken to Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley, Calif., for treatment and was later confirmed dead, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a statement. The second pilot was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where the pilot was in stable condition as of Friday afternoon.
The two-seat helicopter, belonging to the “Gunfighters’ of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, crashed at about 7:05 p.m. local in a remote area called Imperial Gables, about 36 miles north of Yuma, Ariz., and 45 miles northeast of El Centro, Calif., the service said. The crew was flying a training mission in support of Marine Corps Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 1-26, a seven-week course that runs through Oct. 26 and is hosted at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station.
The name of the deceased pilot won’t be released “until 24 hours after all next of kin notifications have been completed,” 3rd MAW said. The wing is based at MCAS Miramar in San Diego.
“It is with profound sadness that I share the loss of a Marine from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and the ‘Gunfighters’ while conducting a training flight in support of the Marine Corps Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course,” Maj. Gen. James Wellons, the commanding general of 3rd MAW, said in a statement. “This Marine made the ultimate sacrifice, and we are forever grateful for his selfless commitment and willingness to go into harm’s way. To the family, friends, and loved ones of our fallen Marine, we send our deepest condolences and offer our unwavering support during this time of grief.”