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One Marine died and another was hospitalized after their helicopter crashed in a desert area of Imperial County during a training mission Thursday.
An AH-1Z Viper carrying two pilots from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, known as the “Gunfighters,” crashed in an unpopulated area of Imperial Gables around 7:05 p.m., according to the U.S. Marine Corps.
The first pilot was taken to Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley, where he was pronounced dead. The second pilot was transported to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs in stable condition, officials said.
Maj. Gen. James B. Wellons, the commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, expressed condolences