Navy Seahawk Helicopter Crash Kills One, Three Missing

(San Diego, CA) -- One sailor is dead and three others are missing after a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed into the Pacific Ocean about 65 miles northwest of San Diego, California, on Friday. According to a Navy spokesman, the MH-60S helicopter known as a "Seahawk" crashed about 2:45 p.m. Pacific time. A search for the three missing crew members continued into the night.

The helicopter reportedly was on a routine training mission off the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard when it crashed. Cmdr. Jack Hanzlik said at a news conference Friday night at Naval Air Station North Island that the crew was able to send out a mayday to indicate they were going down, but the cause of the crash is not yet known and remains under investigation. One crew member was recovered from the ocean waters alive, but later died. The search continues for the three other crew members. The names and rank of those aboard the downed chopper have not been released.

The MH-60S helicopter was attached to the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23. It was involved in a routine training flight in support of Expeditionary Strike Group 5, Amphibious Squadron 7 and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit at the time of the crash near San Clemente Island. The chopper was conducting a training exercise with the Bonhomme Richard and two other Navy ships, the destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and the cruiser USS Chosin, reportedly to prepare for deployment of Marines. All three ships were participating in the rescue mission, Hanzlik said.

The MH-60 Sierra is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission helicopter based on the airframe of the UH-60 Black Hawk and can deploy off aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, and frigates with a range of about 100 nautical miles from the ship. The MH-60 can be used to detect and destroy sea-based mines to clear the path for battle ships, but it also conducts search and rescue operations, and medical evacuations among other things. The MH-60 Sierra usually carries two Pilots and one-to-three crew members.

The Bonhomme Richard was the first amphibious assault ship to deploy with the new MH-60 Sierra helicopter when it left its homeport of San Diego for a six-month deployment in early December 2004. As a result, the MH-60 became the workhorse of disaster relief when the Bonhomme Richard arrived on the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia after the devastating earthquake and tsunamis struck the Indian Ocean region on December 26th.