1 Marine dies, 3 injured in Kaneohe Bay crash, Explosion on Carrier Injures 10, and UXO Found at Fort Shafter

According to the Honolulu Star Advertiser, one marine died in yesterday’s helicopter crash in Kane’ohe Bay.   The helicopter fuel pods were also damaged and are leaking jet fuel:

Three crewmen were treated at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and then taken to the Queen’s Medical Center last night. Search and rescue crews recovered the body of the fourth Marine from the helicopter.

Two of the injured Marines were in critical condition last night and one was reported in stable condition. The body of the deceased Marine was taken to Tripler Army Medical Center. His name will be released 24 hours after next of kin are notified, Olson said.

Kim Beasley, general manager of the Clean Islands Council, said it appeared that one of two external fuel pods on the helicopter had sheared off in the crash and was leaking JP-5 or JP-8 fuel. Crews were working to remove the fuel from the detached tank, which Beasley said was about eight to 10 feet away from the wreckage on the sandbar.

“One was split and one was barely leaking,” Beasley said. “The tank holds about 700 or 800 gallons, but we don’t know how much was in it, so we’ve got to drain it all.”

Elsewhere, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported:

A jet fighter’s engine exploded and caught fire Wednesday as it prepared to take off from an aircraft carrier off California, injuring 10 sailors, the military said.

The F/A-18C Hornet was starting a training exercise when the accident occurred about 2:50 p.m. on the flight deck of the USS John C. Stennis, according to Cmdr. Pauline Storum.

Meanwhile workers discovered an unexploded navy munition at Fort Shafter:

Construction workers repairing a retaining wall found the ordnance about 7:30 a.m., a U.S. Army Garrison press release said.

The U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii’s Directorate of Emergency Services and the base’s police evacuated the surrounding area as a precaution.

A team from the 706th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company identified the unexploded ordnance as a World War II-era, 12-inch naval shell and took it to Schofield Barracks for disposal.