US Navy, Coast Guard vessels search for crew of helicopter that crashed off San Diego coast

By Baird Maritime - September 2, 2021.

*A US Navy MH-60 Seahawk helicopter similar to the one that crashed in the waters off San Diego, California, during routine flight operations on August 31, 2021 (Photo: US Navy/Phylicia Sorenson)*

US Navy and US Coast Guard surface vessels and air assets have been scouring the waters of the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, California, to search for five missing crewmembers of a navy helicopter that had crashed in the area.

The incident occurred when the helicopter, an MH-60S Seahawk assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, crashed into the sea while conducting routine flight operations approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego at 16:30 local time on Tuesday, August 31.

Only one individual among the helicopter’s six-strong crew has been rescued as of Wednesday, September 1. The survivor has since been transported ashore and is reported to be in stable condition.

The navy said the incident had also left five sailors aboard Abraham Lincoln with varying degrees of injury. Two were transported ashore for treatment while the remaining three had minimal injuries and remain aboard the ship.

An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway.