Navy Helicopter Vibrated Before Falling Into the Sea, Report Says

A U.S. Navy chopper that crashed disconnected the seashore adjacent San Diego past week, killing 5 sailors, landed connected an craft bearer and experienced vibrations earlier its main rotor struck the formation platform and the craft fell into the ocean, the Navy said successful a information report.

The MH-60S Seahawk chopper had been operating from the formation platform of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class craft carrier, earlier it crashed into the oversea astir 4:30 p.m. section clip connected Aug. 31, the Navy said.

Efforts to prevention the 5 sailors who were declared missing aft the clang ended connected Saturday. One idiosyncratic was rescued from the helicopter, according to the Navy, and 5 radical connected the formation platform were injured.

The Navy did not elaborate connected what had happened to the Seahawk, oregon what had caused the injuries connected the formation deck. But a time aft the crash, an point connected Page 28 of a regularly published information report offered much details.

1. Lt. Bradley A. Foster

   U.S. Navy, via Associated Press

2. Sarah F. Burns

   U.S. Navy, via Associated Press

3. James P. Buriak

   U.S. Navy, via Associated Press

4. Bailey J. Tucker

   U.S. Navy, via Associated Press

5. Lt. Paul R. Fridley

   U.S. Navy, via Associated Press

Five hunt helicopters joined the U.S.S. Lincoln, the U.S.S. Cincinnati and Coast Guard vessels successful the hunt for the missing sailors, who were portion of the Navy’s Third Fleet. They were declared dormant connected Saturday aft a hunt that the Navy said lasted much than 72 hours. No remains person been found.

The chopper had been conducting “routine formation operations” astir 60 nautical miles disconnected the coast, Navy officials said. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Third Fleet said that the Navy had thing to adhd to the report, and said that the occurrence was inactive nether investigation.

Navy officials connected Sunday identified the sailors arsenic Lt. Bradley A. Foster, 29, a aviator from Oakhurst, Calif.; Lt. Paul R. Fridley, 28, a aviator from Annandale, Va.; James P. Buriak, 31, a second-class Naval aircrewman from Salem, Va.; Sarah F. Burns, 31, a second-class infirmary corpsman from Severna Park, Md.; and Bailey J. Tucker, 21, a third-class infirmary corpsman from St. Louis.

The MH-60S is simply a exemplary that has been successful usage since 2002, according to the Naval Air Systems Command. The 14,000-pound chopper has a scope of 245 nautical miles and tin scope a apical velocity of 180 knots, according to the command. The Navy has much than 250 MH-60S helicopters successful use, the bid said.

MH-60S helicopters are utilized for an array of purposes, including “vertical replenishment, combat hunt and rescue, peculiar warfare enactment and airborne excavation countermeasures” according to Naval Technology, a website that reports connected subject equipment.