Super Stallion Crash

A Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion aircraft assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit crashed earlier on Monday at sea in the Gulf of Aden, according to a Navy statement.

The pilot was attempting to land on the amphibious transport dock Mesa Verde (LPD-19) when the incident occurred, Naval Forces Central Command spokesman Cmdr. Kevin Stephens told Inside the Navy. The aircraft struck the ship before crashing into the ocean, he said.

The incident caused "relatively minor" damage to the flight deck area, Stephens said, adding that the aircraft was lost at sea.

The Super Stallion was in the process of transferring personnel back to the Mesa Verde from training ashore in Djibouti when it crashed at 2 p.m. GMT, according to the statement. The vessel is part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group currently on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

All 25 passengers, including 17 marines and eight sailors, were safely recovered, according to the statement. Eighteen of the 25 were medically evaluated and cleared, Stephens said, while seven had injuries that required them to be treated in the ship's medical ward.

The vessel is now at port in Djibouti, Stephens said. Two of the injured personnel are going to be evaluated at a shore facility, he said.

All of the patients are in stable condition, Stephens noted.

The incident was not a result of hostile activity, according to the statement. The Navy and Marine Corps are investigating the cause of the crash, Stephens said.