A Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter went up in flames on Friday in a “ground mishap.”
The helicopter caught fire on Friday, Aug. 22 at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California. Footage of the blaze was posted to social media, including the Marine Corps subreddit, on Saturday. 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing confirmed the incident on Sunday.
“At approximately 1:10 p.m. PDT Aug. 22, 2025, a CH-53E Super Stallion assigned to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing experienced a ground mishap due to a fire onboard the aircraft at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California,” a spokesperson for the air wing said in a statement to Task & Purpose.
The fire happened while people were inside the helicopter, with the air wing saying that “all personnel safely evacuated the aircraft without injury.” Emergency responders arrived and put out the flames.
The Marine Corps is investigating the incident, 3rd Marine Air Wing said in its statement.
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The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 16, based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing did not say what operation the helicopter and its crew were conducting at Twentynine Palms.
Footage posted online shows the heavy lift helicopter on the ground, engulfed in flames. The short clip captured crews spraying water at the burning helicopter as flames continued to shoot up. The footage does not show how the fire started, or the crew evacuating the CH-53E.
Marine Aircraft Group 16’s squadrons operate MV-22 Ospreys and CH-53E helicopters. The latter first entered service in 1981. On Feb. 6, 2024, a CH-53E Super Stallion from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16 crashed into the mountains on its way back to base at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, killing all five crew members onboard.
