R 210730Z NOV 03
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(uc)
TO AL ALMAR(uc)
ALMAR
BT
UNCLASSIFIED
ALMAR 069/03
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC//
SUBJ/OCTOBER 2003 SAFETY SUMMARY//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  DURING OCTOBER, THREE MARINES AND ONE SAILOR DIED IN OFF-DUTY
MISHAPS, A MARINE AND A MARINE CORPS CIVILIAN DIED IN ON-DUTY GROUND MISHAPS, AND
TWO FA-18A AIRCRAFT AND ONE UH-1N WERE LOST IN AVIATION MISHAPS.  DETAILS CONCERNING
THESE FATALITIES AND MISHAPS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
A.  OFF-DUTY MISHAPS
(1)  A PO2 DIED WHILE OPERATING HIS MOTORCYCLE WHEN HE SIDESWIPED ANOTHER VEHICLE,
LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED.
(2)  A PFC DIED WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS CAR AND RAN OFF THE ROAD.  AFTER THE CRASH,
HIS CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES.  A CIVILIAN PASSENGER ALSO PERISHED IN THE CRASH.
(3)  A SGT WAS KILLED WHEN HER VEHICLE WAS HIT AT AN INTERSECTION.
(4)  A 21 YEAR OLD CPL DROWNED WHILE SWIMMING IN THE COLORADO RIVER.
B.  ON-DUTY MISHAPS
(1)  A SGT DIED DURING A TRAINING FREE-FALL PARACHUTE JUMP AFTER HE UNEXPECTEDLY ROLLED
ONTO HIS BACK DURING DESCENT, AND HE WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY DEPLOY HIS RESERVE CHUTE IN
TIME.  
(2)  A CIVILIAN WG-11 WITH THE MAINTENANCE CENTER, MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE, BARSTOW,
CA DIED WHEN HE WAS ELECTROCUTED WHILE WORKING ON AN AIR-SEARCH RADAR.  
C.  AVIATION MISHAPS
(1)  TWO HORNETS COLLIDED OVER THE WATER APPROXIMATELY 50 NM OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH
CAROLINA DURING AN AERIAL COMBAT TRAINING FLIGHT.  BOTH PILOTS WERE SAFELY RECOVERED.  
(2)  A UH-1N CRASHED IN THE DESERT DURING AN EXERCISE SIMULATING A TROOP INSERT ABOARD
MAGTFTC 29 PALMS, CA.  ONE CREWMEMBER RECEIVED MAJOR INJURIES IN THE MISHAP; THE REMAINING
THREE CREWMEMBERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.  
2.  OBSERVATIONS AND TRENDS.
A.  MOTOR VEHICLE AND MOTORCYCLE CRASHES CONTINUE TO BE THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF MARINE FATALITIES.  
WHILE ALCOHOL-RELATED FATALITIES HAVE DECLINED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, EXCESSIVE SPEED RESULTING
IN LOSS OF CONTROL HAS INCREASED AS A PRIMARY CAUSAL FACTOR. THESE MISHAPS AND FATALITIES ARE
PREVENTABLE.  
WITH THE END OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME AND THE HOLIDAYS APPROACHING QUICKLY, MARINES WILL BE
TRAVELING LONGER DISTANCES WITH SHORTENED PERIODS OF DAYLIGHT.  REDUCING MOTOR VEHICLE MISHAPS
AND FATALITIES BEGINS WITH SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS WEARING YOUR SEATBELT AND ENSURING ALL VEHICLE
OCCUPANTS DO THE SAME.  IN KEEPING WITH THE FIRST QUARTER SAFETY THEME,  ACCOUNTABILITY:  IF THERE
IS A RULE OR LAW, ENFORCE IT , THE MARINE CORPS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION S  CLICK IT OR TICKET  CAMPAIGN DURING NOVEMBER.
B.  IN RECREATIONAL FATALITIES, THE GREATEST NUMBER OF DEATHS ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO WATER SPORT MISHAPS.  
SWIMMING IS THE LEADING ACTIVITY THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE MOST OF THESE DEATHS. C.  ALTHOUGH THIS
MONTH MARKED ONLY THE FIRST TIME IN 10 YEARS THAT A CIVILIAN WAS ELECTROCUTED IN AN ON DUTY MISHAP,
IT IS THE THIRD ELECTRICAL MISHAP AND THE SECOND FATAL ELECTROCUTION IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS.  
ELECTRICITY IS UNFORGIVING AND ALWAYS DEMANDS THE HIGHEST CARE AND ADHERENCE TO SAFE PRACTICES.  
THERE ARE NO PART-TIME SAFETY RULES OR SHORT CUTS WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTRICITY.
D.  THE MARINE CORPS SUFFERED TWO BIRD STRIKES IN OCTOBER RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE TO AN AH-1W
AND SERIOUS DAMAGE TO AN AV-8B.  WHILE THE LIKELIHOOD OF BIRD STRIKES DECREASES AS WINTER
APPROACHES, THIS HAZARD CAN BE GREATLY MAGNIFIED IN THE LOW ALTITUDE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE OF
REDUCED REACTION TIMES AND LESSENED MARGIN FOR ERROR.  ALWAYS CHECK THE FORECAST FOR BIRD ACTIVITY
LEVELS PRIOR TO FLYING A LOW ALTITUDE ROUTE AT ANY TIME OF YEAR.  LOCAL BIRD/WILDLIFE AIRCRAFT
STRIKE HAZARD (BASH) INFORMATION IS EASILY ACCESSED AT HTTP:\WWW.USAHAS.COM.  ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT .
3.  SEMPER FIDELIS, M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//