Olathe man one of 5 Marines killed in California helicopter crash

Ksnt.com

OLATHE, Kan. -- Officials have released the identities of the five Marines who died earlier this week in a helicopter crash in California.

One was a 21-year-old Marine from Olathe, Kansas.

Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis was a crew chief for the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter that crashed during a storm in the mountains outside San Diego.

Davis enlisted in the Marine Corps in September 2019 and was just recently promoted to the rank of lance corporal in January 2024.

He has been honored with a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Officials have identified the other four Marines killed as:

Sgt. Alec Langen, 23, of Chandler, Arizona
Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27, of Emmett, Idaho
Capt. Jack Casey, 26, of Dover, New Hampshire
Capt. Miguel Nava, 28, of Traverse City, Michigan

The five Marines were assigned to Miramar’s Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Miramar.

"We have been confronted with a tragedy that is every service family's worst fear," Lt. Col. Nicholas J. Harvey, commanding officer of HMH-361, said in a release Friday.

"Our top priority now is supporting the families of our fallen heroes, and we ask for your respect and understanding as they grieve. The Flying Tigers family stands strong and includes the friends and community who have supported our squadron during this challenging time. We will get through this together."

Marines have been stationed round-the-clock at the site to stay with the remains, Col. James C. Ford, operations officer with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, told the Associated Press on Thursday.

“Their fellow Marines have remained by their side as Marines do and took shifts throughout the night at the mishap site, keeping watch over our fallen despite the hazardous weather conditions,” Ford said Thursday. “Our fellow Marines were and continue to be guarded by their brothers and sisters.”

Authorities said the CH-53E vanished late Tuesday night while conducting a flight training on their way back to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego from Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas.

The Super Stallion is the largest helicopter in the military, designed to fly through bad weather, even at night.

The last known contact with the Super Stallion was at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, when waves of downpours and snow were hitting the region, Mike Cornette of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told CBS 8. That location was based on a “ping” reported to a Cal Fire dispatch center.

The craft was discovered Wednesday morning near Pine Valley, an hour’s drive from San Diego.

The mountain community is at about 3,700 feet in elevation in the Cuyamaca Mountains, an area which saw as much 8 inches of accumulating snow within hours Tuesday night and early Wednesday and saw more falling Wednesday night, forecasters said.

Citing the “hazardous terrain and weather” at the site, Ford said the ground recovery efforts will take place over coming weeks as an investigation into the crash is conducted.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.