A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed into a Southern California bay during a training exercise on the night of Jan. 11, a spokesperson said. All six crewmembers survived.
The MH-60R Sea Hawk crashed in the waters of San Diego Bay shortly after 6:30 p.m., said a statement from Cmdr. Beth Teach of the Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet.
“Due to the nature of the training, a safety boat was on location,” the statement said, adding that the crew members were taken ashore for medical evaluations.
No critical or life-threatening injuries
There wasn’t any immediate word on their conditions but Navy officials weren’t aware of any critical of life-threatening injuries.
The crash site was in Coronado, across an inlet from San Diego. The local Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the scene.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Squadron based in Coronado
The aircraft was from Helicopter Maritime Strike squadron 41.
The fleet replacement squadron is based at Naval Air Station North Island on the Coronado peninsula. It trains air crews on the MH-60R Sea Hawk, according to its website.
The MH-60R Sea Hawk is the Navy’s main helicopter for anti-submarine warfare but it can perform a wide variety of missions, including reconnaissance and search-and-rescue operations, according to a Navy website.
