Focus falls on cause of collision off Calif. coast

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER

The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO — Investigators are meeting to look into the cause of a crash between a Coast Guard plane and a Marine helicopter that killed nine people off the Southern California coast.

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This undated image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows from left: Petty Officer 2nd Class Carl P. Grigonis, 35, from Mayfield Heights, Ohio, navigator; Petty Officer 2nd Class Monica L. Beacham, 29, from Decaturville, Tann., radio operator; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason S. Moletzsky, 26, from Norristown, Pa., air crew; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Danny R. Kreder II, 22, from Elm Mott, Texas, drop master.. TheC-130 and the Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter collided at 7:10 p.m. Thursday Oct. 29, 2009 as the Coast Guard was conducting a search operation for a missing boater. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard)

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This undated image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows from left: Lt. Cmdr. Che J Barnes, 35, from Capay, Calif., aircraft commander; Lt. Adam W. Bryant, 28, from Crewe, Va., co-pilot; and Chief Petty Officer John F. Seidman, 43, from Stockton, Ca., flight engineer. The C-130 and the Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter collided at 7:10 p.m. Thursday Oct. 29, 2009 as the Coast Guard was conducting a search operation for a missing boater. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard)

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This undated image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows Chief Petty Officer John F. Seidman, 43, from Stockton, Ca., the C-130 Flight Engineer. The C-130 and the Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter collided at 7:10 p.m. Thursday Oct. 29, 2009 as the Coast Guard was conducting a search operation for a missing boater. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard)

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The search for bodies and wreckage continues.

Coast Guard Lt. Josh Nelson says searchers will also try to locate the aircraft black box recorders. He won't speculate on the chances of recovering anything in an area where the water is more than 2,000 feet deep.

The crash Thursday evening involved a Coast Guard C-130 searching for a missing boater and a Marine Corps Super Cobra helicopter on a training mission. Debris was later found about 50 miles off of San Diego.

Nelson says a crash analysis board will look at the debris, radio transmissions from the plane pilots and other material.

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November 02, 2009 11:46 AM EST

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