Navy Helicopter With 5 Aboard Crashes In Red Sea

**Ryan Ruck** · September 22nd, 2013, 21:29

Navy Helicopter With 5 Aboard Crashes In Red Sea

September 22, 2013

Five crew members are missing after a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed in the Red Sea on Sunday during routine flight operations, military officials said.

The MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6 — nicknamed the HSC Indians — went down in the Central Red Sea at about noon local time, according to an official with the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

The official said the crash was not a result of any hostile activity.

The Knighthawk had been trying to either land or takeoff from the rear helicopter deck of the USS William P. Lawrence, a guided-missile destroyer, at the time of the crash, officials said.

The USS Nimitz is leading the search and rescue mission for the five crew members who were aboard the helicopter by providing planes and small boats, officials said.

The USS Nimitz deployed to the Red Sea on Sept. 2 in anticipation of a possible U.S. strike on Syria.

**Ryan Ruck** · September 22nd, 2013, 23:03

UPDATE - Navy Helicopter Crashes in Red Sea

September 22, 2013

An MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 6 crashed in the central Red Sea Sept. 22, while operating with the guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110).

Three personnel are accounted for and stable. Search efforts continue for two remaining personnel.

Assisting in the search and rescue are USS Nimitz (CVN 68), USS William P. Lawrence, USS Princeton (CG 59), USS Shoup (DDG 86), USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) as well as MH-60S Knighthawks from HSC-6, and MH-60R Seahawks from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75 and one P-3 from Patrol Squadron (VP) 47.

The crash was not due to any sort of hostile activity.

The incident is under investigation.