Rancho Santa Margarita : Faulty Switch Forces Marine Copter to Land
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A faulty oil pressure switch forced a military CH-53A helicopter to make a precautionary landing Wednesday in a field near Rancho Santa Margarita minutes after it took off from the Marine Corps Helicopter Air Station at Tustin, authorities said Thursday.
The switch, according to a Marine spokesman, provides pilots with information about the transmission oil pressure. The switch was replaced and the helicopter returned to Tustin. Marine officials said there was no malfunction in the transmission.
The CH-53A is a smaller version of the troubled CH-53E Super Stallion, which has been grounded for more than a month with transmission problems. The CH-53A was on its way to Camp Pendleton in San Diego County from Tustin when it made the emergency landing, the spokesman said.
There were no injuries, Marine officials said.
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