Capt. Jack Casey of Dover one of five Marines killed in helicopter crash

DOVER — A Dover man was one of the five U.S. Marines who died in a routine military helicopter training flight outside of San Diego.

Capt. Jack Casey, a 26-year-old CH-53E helicopter pilot, was confirmed to be one of the victims on Friday by the Marine Corps, and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. He was a 2015 graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High School, a private Catholic school in Dover.

“Capt. Jack Casey gave his life while serving his country," Sununu said in a prepared statement. “Valerie and I are deeply saddened as we mourn the loss of these five Marines. Capt. Jack Casey’s death is a profound loss for his family, his community, New Hampshire, and the country. I have directed all flags on all public buildings and grounds in the state of New Hampshire to fly at half-staff on the day of interment.”

Casey commissioned in the Marine Corps on May 16, 2019 and was promoted to the rank of captain on Sept. 1, 2023, according to Sununu's office. During his service, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.

Dover Mayor Bob Carrier offered his condolences to Casey's family.

“I absolutely feel terrible. The Caseys are an old family name in the city of Dover,” he said Friday. “There are many, many Caseys and my heart goes out to the family. From the point of view of the city of Dover, it’s a tragic loss.”

The four other male Marines identified as victims of the crash were Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, 21; Sgt. Alec Langen, 23; Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27; and Capt. Miguel Nava, 28.

The Marine helicopter vanished late Tuesday night on its way back to Miramar air station in San Diego from Creech Air Force Base, the Associated Press reported. The craft was discovered Wednesday morning near the mountain community of Pine Valley.

The military confirmed Thursday that all five Marines were killed when their helicopter went down during stormy weather, and efforts were underway to recover their remains, which will take weeks because of the rough terrain and weather, said Col. James C. Ford, operations officer with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. In the meantime, Marines are staying with the remains round-the-clock to adhere to their ethos of never leaving any Marine behind.

The military is investigating the crash.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School President Paul Marquis spoke about Casey Friday.

“The entire STA community is saddened and heartbroken over the loss of Capt. Casey,” he said. “He meant a great deal to the community here. His entire family was part of Catholic education here on the Seacoast. He had his entire life ahead of him. He lived a life of service and mission to others, and it's so sad to see someone with such a bright future lose his life here at such a young age.”

Teachers and school staff members who remember Casey swapped anecdotes about him on Friday, he said.

“He was kind. He loved life. He really just had such a positive impact on everyone and even from just talking to some of the folks down at (Saint Mary Academy) where he went, we all just have shared such joyful stories,” Marquis added. “We certainly are offering our support and will be offering whatever we can to the family moving forward.”

Qiayra Randolph, who was classmates with Casey at St. Thomas, was stunned to hear of his death.

“This devastating loss has left me speechless. Between his contagious energy and silly antics that made us all break out in laughter, I’ll remember him fondly,” she said. “My condolences to his family and everyone else who loved him. Jack will truly be missed.”

Former St. Thomas science teacher Bill Dinan said Friday he had been following news coverage of the Marines’ fatal crash but never expected to know one of the victims. Hearing Casey's name "sadly really hit home," he said.

“I remember Jack so fondly as a kid who always had a smile and a warm greeting for everyone. In my honors physics class he was a natural leader as well as a top student. He was a young man who had an unlimited future," Dinan said. "The last time I saw Jack was a few years ago when he was in college. We bumped into each other on the street in Portsmouth and he was telling me how excited he was to get commissioned as an officer and serve his country.”

St. Mary Academy of Dover, a grades K-8 private Catholic school, issued a statement about the passing of Casey, who graduated in 2011.

"It is with heavy hearts that we inform our community of the passing of one of our former students, Jack Casey, while bravely serving our country as a member of the United States Marines," the school posted on its Facebook page. "Jack was not only a dedicated student during his time with us but also a courageous individual who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation's freedoms. Jack’s unwavering commitment to service and bravery exemplifies the values we hold dear in our community."

"During this difficult time, our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Jack's family, friends, and fellow Marines. We recognize the profound loss felt by all who knew and loved him, and we stand together in honoring his memory," the school's statement adds. "May we never forget the sacrifice of Jack Casey and all those who have given their lives in service to our country."

More: Names of 5 Marines killed in California helicopter crash identified

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, reacted to Casey's death on social media. "I’m deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Capt. Jack Casey, a U.S. Marine from Dover," she said. "My thoughts are with his family and loved ones as we honor his heroic service and sacrifice on behalf of our nation."

On Thursday, President Joe Biden shared that the military aircraft was traveling from Nevada to California in a routine mission.

"Our service members represent the very best of our nation—and these five Marines were no exception," Biden's statement read in part. "Today, as we mourn this profound loss, we honor their selfless service and ultimate sacrifice—and reaffirm the sacred obligation we bear to all those who wear the uniform and their families."

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

“We have been confronted with a tragedy that is every service family’s worst fear,” said Lt. Col. Nicholas J. Harvey, commanding officer of HMH-361. “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.”

Jack Casey's death preceded by other NH soldiers perishing in military training flights

Casey is the second U.S. military service member from New Hampshire to die in a helicopter crash in three months. In November, Army Staff Sgt. Tanner Grone, a 25-year-old Gorham resident, was one of five service members who died aboard a UH-60 helicopter that crashed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea during an air refueling training mission.

In June 2022, Marine Corps Capt. Nicholas Losapio, an Exeter High School graduate who grew up in Kensington, was one of five Marines who died in a California aircraft crash, also as part of a training mission.

USA TODAY reported the CH-53E Super Stallion has been involved in several deadly incidents, in addition to the crash that took Casey's life.

In April 2018, four crew members were killed when their CH-53E Super Stallion crashed a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. The helicopter was also with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing out of the Miramar air station in San Diego.

Two years earlier, 12 Marines died when two Super Stallion helicopters collided off the coast of Oahu in Hawaii. In 2005, 31 people died when a CH-53E crashed in Iraq during a sandstorm.

Rich Martindell, a former aircraft accident investigator in the Air Force, told USA TODAY the accident rate of CH-53 helicopters is more than double that of other Marine aircraft. He said that from 1984 to 2008, the CH-53 had an average of 5.96 accidents per 100,000 hours of flight, while other helicopters had an average of 2.26 per 100,000 hours.

Fatal crashes in helicopter training flights have been frequent across the U.S. military. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported there were 298 Army and Air National Guard helicopter accidents in training flights from 2012 to 2021, and approximately 45 were deemed "serious," meaning they involved death, permanent disability, extensive hospitalization or property damage of $500,000 or more. In April 2023, the Associated Press reported 14 soldiers had died and three were injured in a series of crashes in the first few months of last year.

Reporting from USA TODAY and the Associated Press is used in this story.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Capt. Jack Casey of Dover NH dies in Marines helicopter crash