Seth R. Michaud - who leaves behind his wife of four years, Karen, and their 18-month-old son, Ian - was standing outside his CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter when the bomb exploded, his father, Francis Michaud said from the family home yesterday. A friend and fellow pilot gave first aid and CPR, but the 27-year-old Michaud later died at the base hospital.

``He died flying, doing what he loved, so that helped,'' Francis Michaud said. ``We're very proud of him.''

The friend who tried to save Michaud will fly with his body back to Delaware in the next few days, Francis Michaud said.

The Marine Corps said Michaud was killed, eight others injured and two copters destroyed after the B-52 completed a simulated aerial bombardment mission and dropped nine M117 general-purpose bombs over the range off the northern coast of Djibouti.

Seven of those injured were in ``stable'' condition at the Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Germany.

``There are a lot of questions they're trying to answer,'' Francis Michaud said. ``They're not sure how that happened.''

Michaud, a graduate of Hudson High School and the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, left for Djibouti on April 9 with the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, set up last year to lead the war on terrorism in that region.

Michaud, who was based in North Carolina, called his parents Saturday. They learned of his death the next night.

``He told us about the exercise that was going to take place. I knew there would be live ammunition,'' said Francis Michaud, an Air Force Academy graduate who flew during the Vietnam era.

Michaud, the oldest of three, knew he wanted to fly in junior high school, his father said. ``As a high school freshman, I actually took him to the Air Force Academy for my reunion there. He started to get serious about it after that.''

Francis Michaud said his 19-year-old daughter, Samantha, is taking the news the hardest. Michaud also leaves his brother, Ethan and mother, Karen.