On February 8, 2024, five U.S. Marines were confirmed dead after a military helicopter they were aboard crashed outside San Diego during a routine training flight from Creech Air Force Base to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California.
The CH-53E Super Stallion was reported missing on Tuesday night and found hours later by authorities in Pine Valley, California. All five Marines onboard the helicopter were members of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, a unit within the U.S. Marine Corps's 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
On February 8, 2024, five U.S. Marines were confirmed dead after a military helicopter they were aboard crashed outside San Diego during a routine training flight from Creech Air Force Base to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. The CH-53E Super Stallion was reported missing on Tuesday night and found hours later by authorities in Pine Valley, California. All five Marines onboard the helicopter were members of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, a unit within the U.S. Marine Corps's 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The CH-53E Super Stallion was reported missing Tuesday night during a routine training flight from Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas, to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.
Five U.S. Marines who were aboard a military helicopter that went down in the mountains near San Diego were found dead.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author does not provide any information about themselves or their credentials to establish credibility. Secondly, the article reports that five Marines were found dead after a helicopter crash but fails to mention who was responsible for the crash or what caused it. This creates an ambiguity and leaves readers with unanswered questions. Thirdly, the article quotes several sources including military officials and President Biden without providing any context about their relationship with each other or how they were involved in the incident. Lastly, the article mentions that a CH-53E Super Stallion was involved in several deadly incidents but does not provide any details about these incidents or what lessons were learned from them.
The author did not disclose their credentials to establish credibility.
Fallacies
(80%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the statements of military officials without providing any evidence or context for their claims. Additionally, the use of inflammatory rhetoric is evident in phrases such as 'heartbroken' and 'nation's finest warriors'. There are also several examples of dichotomous depictions, including contrasting descriptions of the helicopter crash with a previous successful landing at Miramar air station. Finally, there is an example of inflammatory rhetoric in the phrase 'record-setting rainfall beginning over the weekend and lasting through Tuesday' which implies that this was an unprecedented event despite no evidence being provided to support this claim.
The CH-53E Super Stallion is described as a "heavy lift helicopter' capable of carrying troops, equipment and supplies from ship to shore and can launch amphibious assaults. This implies that the helicopter is designed for heavy lifting tasks which contradicts its involvement in several deadly crashes.
The article states that “the storm pummeled the region with record-setting rainfall beginning over the weekend and lasting through Tuesday”, implying an unprecedented event despite no evidence being provided to support this claim. This is an example of inflammatory rhetoric.
The article describes the helicopter crash as a “routine training flight' which implies that it was not a mission with any specific objectives or risks, but then goes on to describe the accident rate of CH-53E Super Stallion as more than double that of other Marine aircraft. This is an example of dichotomous depiction.
The helicopter was flying from Creech Air Force Base to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego when it went missing
Five U.S. Marines onboard are now confirmed dead
`CH-53E Super Stallion` helicopter was found in Pine Valley
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the helicopter was flying from Creech Air Force Base to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar when it went missing. However, this information is not accurate as the last reported location of the helicopter was north of Interstate 8 and Kitchen Creek Road which is located southeast of Pine Valley about 35 miles east of their destination.
The article states that the helicopter was flying from Creech Air Force Base to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar when it went missing. However, this information is not accurate as the last reported location of the helicopter was north of Interstate 8 and Kitchen Creek Road which is located southeast of Pine Valley about 35 miles east of their destination.
The article states that all five U.S Marines onboard are now confirmed dead. However, it does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the helicopter was assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 and citing a statement from the U.S. Marine Corps without providing any context or evidence for this claim.
> A military helicopter reported missing Wednesday morning was found hours later by authorities in Pine Valley.
Bias
(85%)
The article reports on the death of five U.S. Marines in a military helicopter crash near Pine Valley, California. The author uses language that dehumanizes and demonizes the fallen soldiers by referring to them as 'the last reported area' and stating that they were found dead after being missing for hours.
The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was flying from Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas, to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Tuesday when the aircraft was reported overdue. The last reported area of the helicopter was north of Interstate 8 and Kitchen Creek Road.
The identities of the deceased Marines will not be released until 24-hours after all next-of-kin have been notified by the military, per policy.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Amber Coakley has conflicts of interest on the topics of military helicopter and U.S. Marines as she is a reporter for Fox 5 San Diego which covers these topics regularly.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has multiple conflicts of interest on the topics provided. The article reports on a military helicopter that was reported missing in Southeast of Descanso and is being searched for by Cal Fire. However, the article also mentions several other organizations involved in search and rescue efforts including Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, San Diego County Sheriff's Department, Civil Air Patrol and U.S. Marines.
The article reports on a military helicopter that was reported missing in Southeast of Descanso and is being searched for by Cal Fire.
The military helicopter crash in Southern California that left five Marines dead this week joins a long list aviation tragedies and near-disasters in the region
On June 3, U.S. Navy pilot Lt. Richard Bullock was killed when his F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed near Trona.
Five Marines on board a MV-22B Osprey died after the aircraft crashed in the California desert near the Arizona border during training.
California has also seen a number of high-profile accidents involving small planes and helicopters carrying civilians, like the January 2020 helicopter crash in Calabasas that killed Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and eight others. In July, six people died after a Cessna C550 business jet crashed and burst into flames in a field near the French Valley Airport in Murrieta, California.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the helicopter crash was a military accident but does not specify which branch of the military it belonged to. This information is important as different branches have different safety records and standards. Secondly, while the article mentions other aviation accidents in Southern California, it fails to provide any context or comparison with national averages or trends. Thirdly, the article quotes experts who claim that accident rates may be higher in California due to volume but does not provide any evidence or data to support this claim.
The helicopter crash was a military accident but no branch is specified.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that California is home to more than 30 federal military installations and citing a source without providing any evidence or context for this claim. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma when they state that accident rates may be higher in California due to volume rather than anything else, as there is no evidence presented to support this assertion. The article also contains an example of inflammatory rhetoric with the use of phrases such as
Bias
(85%)
The article highlights a recent military helicopter crash in Southern California that left five Marines dead. It also mentions several other aviation disasters and near-disasters in the region within the past year, including three military aircraft crashes and two civilian plane crashes. The author does not provide any personal opinions or biases regarding these incidents.
The article highlights a recent military helicopter crash in Southern California that left five Marines dead.
Five U.S. Marines aboard a helicopter that went down during stormy weather in the mountains outside San Diego are confirmed dead.
The cause of the crash remains unknown.
Accuracy
The helicopter vanished late Tuesday while returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego after a routine training mission to Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nev., northwest of Las Vegas. The helicopter was flying into treacherous weather in California.
Five U.S. Marines aboard the CH-53E Super Stallion were found dead.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the helicopter vanished late Tuesday while returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego after a routine training mission to Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nev., northwest of Las Vegas. However, this statement implies that the crash was an accident when there is no evidence suggesting otherwise. Secondly, it states that visibility was poor because of snow, rain and gusty winds which would have been in play for most of the night and into the morning but does not mention anything about any other factors such as human error or mechanical failure which could have contributed to the crash. Thirdly, it quotes President Biden saying that an investigation is underway but there is no information provided on what this investigation entails or who will be conducting it.
The article states that visibility was poor because of snow, rain and gusty winds which would have been in play for most of the night and into the morning but does not mention anything about any other factors such as human error or mechanical failure which could have contributed to the crash.
The article states that the helicopter vanished late Tuesday while returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego after a routine training mission to Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nev., northwest of Las Vegas. However, this statement implies that the crash was an accident when there is no evidence suggesting otherwise.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that the Marines said an investigation into the latest crash is underway. This statement implies that the Marines are experts in investigating crashes and their word should be taken as fact without any evidence presented. Additionally, there are no quotes from anyone else other than Nathan Solis or Jon Healey to support this claim.
The Marines said an investigation into the latest crash is underway.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that the helicopter went down during stormy weather in California. This is an example of monetary bias as it implies that the military has to spend money on equipment and training for extreme conditions.
]It was the second fatal crash for Marines in Southern California involving a Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion, a heavy lift helicopter, in the last six years. The Marines said an investigation into the latest crash is underway.
