Two Marine Corps officers were killed Friday evening when their helicopter crashed during a training exercise aboard the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. Captain Elizabeth Kealey and 1st Lieutenant Adam Satterfield died from injuries in the crash at about 4:30 p.m. Friday; they were the only two Marines aboard the UH-1Y Huey helicopter. Lieutenant Colonel James M. Isaacs, their commanding officer, said, “Captain Kealey and First Lieutenant Satterfield were both outstanding Marine Corps officers and talented helicopter pilots. Our heart-felt thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of our fallen Vipers, and we stand poised to support them in this tragedy.” Kealey, 32, of Indiana, Pennsylvania, was commissioned in 2005 and had earned several awards and medals. She deployed twice with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and once in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Satterfield, 25, of Oldham, Kentucky, was commissioned in 2011 and supported training operations in Southern California. The pilots were assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA)-169 based at Camp Pendleton. The cause of the fatal crash is under investigation.
