Pilot killed in Harrier crash near Cherry Point

A Cherry Point Marine was killed Monday afternoon when the AV-8B Harrier he was flying crashed in a wooded area off N.C. 101 east of Havelock.

The single-seat aircraft was from Marine Attack Squadron 203 based at Cherry Point, according to base officials.

The crash happened at 12:30 p.m. about one mile east of the air station as the pilot was on a routine training mission and returning to the base, officials said.

The name of the pilot is being withheld pending notification of family.

Hunters in the area at the time of the crash described an odd sound as the jet flew overhead.

"We heard some whining noises and then saw some smoke up in the air," said Mark Seiler, who was hunting on Weyerhaeuser property just west of N.C. 101 and Ferry Road and heard the jet overhead.

He said he did not see the plane hit the ground.

"We just saw the smoke going up in the air and called 911," said Seiler.

The hunters never saw the pilot.

"We didn't see any chute, that's all. We saw smoke and fire," Seiler said.

He said the flames and smoke made it impossible to get close to the jet.

"They were intense, probably shooting 100 feet up in the air," Seiler said.

Pedro, the Cherry Point rescue helicopter, landed about 100 yards away from the crash site. However, the helicopter stayed on the ground, its rotors spinning, as crews worked to put out the fire.

Firefighters from Havelock, Harlowe and Cherry Point responded to the crash. For about 30 minutes, flames and intense smoke rose as firefighters in silver-colored protective gear fought the fire at the site located in underbrush about 700 to 800 yards from N.C. 101.

The crash occurred in a fairly open area and could be seen from the two-lane highway.

Traffic along N.C. 101 slowed in both directions and stopped at times to allow rescue vehicles to get to the scene.

Officials at Cherry Point did not release the cause of the crash and said an investigation would be conducted.

The National Weather Service in Newport reported rain, fog, mist and light winds in the area at the time the jet went down.

The crash is the second this year of a Cherry Point Harrier. On Feb. 13, an AV-8B Harrier lost engine power and crashed at Open Ground Farms in Carteret County. The pilot of that jet, Capt. Ian E. Stephenson, ejected and was not seriously injured.