Navy Helicopter Crashes Off San Diego Coast, 1 Crew Member Rescued: Navy

Search-and-rescue operations are underway about 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego for five crew members who were on board a military helicopter that crashed into the sea.

Multiple Coast Guard and Navy air and surface resources are taking part in the search for the crew of the MH-60S helicopter, which officials said went down on Tuesday at about 4:30 p.m. PT.

MH-60 USS Abraham Lincoln — In this Sept. 2018 file photo, MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters depart the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in the Atlantic Ocean.

U.S. Navy Third Fleet spokesperson Lt. Sam Boyle confirmed one crew member had been rescued as of 9 p.m. As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, five crew members were still unaccounted for.

The rescued crew member's condition is unknown.

Military officials said the 64-foot aircraft, which weighs a little over seven tons when it's empty, crashed during "routine flight operations." The helicopter is assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz class aircraft carrier homeported at Naval Air Station North Island, on Coronado.

UPDATE 1: Currently, one crewmember has been rescued and search efforts continue for the other crewmembers of an MH-60S helicopter embarked aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) that crashed into the sea off the coast of San Diego, Aug. 31: https://t.co/4O9iDV1jNx (1/2)
— U.S. Pacific Fleet (@USPacificFleet) September 1, 2021