A Navy MN-60S helicopter from the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a routine operations flight from the ship’s deck, roughly 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego.
BREAKING NEWS | An MH-60S helicopter assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft has crashed into the sea 60 nautical miles from San Diego, the Navy said in a news release Tuesday evening.
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U.S. Navy Third Fleet spokesperson Lt. Sam Boyle was able to confirm that one crew member had been rescued but five crew members were still unaccounted for. The five have been declared dead and rescue operations for them have turned into a recovery mission.
The Navy searched for the five missing personnel for more than 72 hours, using 34 search and rescue flights, logging over 170 hours of flight time, and utilizing five search helicopters and constant surface vessel rescue sweeps.
Five additional sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln were injured in the crash, two of them severely (they were flown to a hospital in San Diego). The other three suffered less serious wounds and were kept aboard the ship.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of five Sailors and those injured following the MH-60S helicopter tragedy off the coast of Southern California. We stand alongside their families, loved ones, and shipmates who grieve,” said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday.
The Navy will release the names of the fallen sailors 24 hours after their families have been notified.
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