U.S. NAVY confirms NAVY helicopter down; all 4 crewmembers survived
Aircraft goes down one day after Wednesday's fatal military Osprey crash
PALO VERDE, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The U.S. Navy confirmed an MH-60S Seahawk crashed near El Centro, Calif. Thursday at approximately 6 p.m. while conducting a routine training flight from Naval Air Facility El Centro.
The Navy said all four of the air crew on board survived the crash and have been safely recovered. One of the crew members suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The other crew members were released.
The helicopter was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3, based at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
The Imperial County Fire Department said it requested the assistance of nearby naval air facilities to help with the response.
According to the military, the Sikorsky MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission U.S. Navy helicopter. The most significant modifications are the folding main rotor and a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.
In August of 2021 five sailors died when their MH-60S Seahawk crashed.
A navy investigation into that crash revealed the crash was caused by a damaged damper hose that failed, triggering massive vibrations just as the aircraft was landing.
The helicopter was conducting training aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, 60 miles off San Diego that day when it touched down and began shaking intensely.
It was assigned to the San Diego-based Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8 at Naval Air Station North Island.
This is a developing story. Keep it tuned on air and online for the latest developments.
