One Missing in U.S. Navy Helicopter Crash in Arabian Sea
A helicopter from the carrier USS George H.W. Bush has gone down in the Arabian Sea, prompting a sustained search and rescue effort.
At about 0330 Eastern Time on July 1 - late morning in the region - an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter went down in the Arabian Sea with four crewmembers on board. Three were rescued swiftly and are on board in stable condition, according to U.S. 5th Fleet.
The fourth crewmember remains missing, and Navy assets in the area are conducting a search.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, but it is not believed that any hostile action was involved, 5th Fleet said.
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The last loss of a helicopter in the operation was the downing of an Army Apache attack helicopter early last month in the Strait of Hormuz, caused by Iranian fire. The Iranian antiaircraft missile that struck the Apache failed to detonate, and both pilots managed to survive a water landing and escape the cockpit. The attack prompted an inventive SAR effort (involving an unmanned vessel) and a sizeable round of retaliatory strikes.
The USS George H.W. Bush has a comparatively positive safety record. A crewmember was struck by a propeller blade and killed during routine deck operations in 2018, but there have been few incidents since. The ship is currently deployed in the Arabian Sea as part of the mission to deter Iranian attacks on shipping.