Specialized Navy ship now searching for helicopter that crashed off an aircraft carrier southeast of San Diego

A vessel typically utilized for submarine betterment is present searching for a Navy chopper that fell overboard the USS Abraham Lincoln connected Aug. 31, with 2 pilots, 2 corpsmen and a naval aerial crewman inactive connected board.

The HOS Dominator arrived astatine the determination the chopper was past seen astir 60 miles southeast of San Diego precocious Wednesday, Sept. 15, and instantly began betterment efforts, including utilizing a sonar scanner known arsenic SWISS and a towed pinger locator, Navy Lt. Samuel Boyle said.

The MH-60 Sierra chopper wreckage and the remains of the 5 sailors are estimated to beryllium astatine an water extent of betwixt 4,000 feet and 6,000 feet.

In March, the Navy recovered a downed chopper from a extent of 19,075 feet disconnected Okinawa, Japan. The twin-engine Sikorsky Seahawk crashed into the Pacific Ocean past twelvemonth portion operating from the USS Blue Ridge.  The aircrew were capable to flight earlier it sank.

Efforts to retrieve the chopper overboard the USS Abraham Lincoln volition proceed until the wreckage is found, Boyle said. Then a 2nd vessel operating with a ample crane volition assistance with the recovery.

The chopper became unbalanced and went overboard the vessel astatine 4:30 p.m. connected Aug. 31. One crewman was recovered from the h2o astir 10:30 that night, and 5 different sailors moving connected the ship’s platform were injured. All six are successful unchangeable condition, Boyle said.

An probe into the origin of the mishap is underway.

Navy and Coast Guard ships and planes searched the country pursuing the helicopter’s sinking for immoderate 72 hours earlier the hunt and rescue turned to a betterment effort. The 5 sailors were presumed dormant and identified.  All 5 belonged to the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8 based connected North Island, San Diego.

Those aboard the chopper were Lt. Bradley A. Foster, 29, a aviator from Oakhurst; Lt. Paul R. Fridley, 28, a aviator from Annandale, Va; Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class James P. Buriak, 31, from Salem, Va; Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah F. Burns, 31, from Severna Park, Md.; and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey J. Tucker, 21, from St. Louis, Mo.

The Abraham Lincoln is present backmost astatine the larboard successful San Diego. The Nimitz-class craft bearer was preparing for deployment adjacent year.