On May 19, U.S.Navy’s HH-60 Seahawk helicopter while conducting training operations with USS Nimitz (CVN 68) crashed into the ocean off the coast of Southern California.
HH-60 Seahawk helicopter and some developments on the crash are:
- The helicopter with five crew members, was from Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron HS-6.
- HS-6 is a Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron employing the SH-60 and HH-60 Seahawk rotary wing helicopter. Their primary missions include Anti-Submarine Warfare, Search and Rescue, Combat Search and Rescue, Logistical Operations, and the insertion/extraction of Special Forces Personnel.
- HS-6 is home ported in San Diego and is part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 assigned to the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG).
- The helicopter was operating from USS Nimitz (CVN 68) off the coast of California, when the mishap occurred.
- HS-6 is a Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron employing the SH-60 and HH-60 Seahawk rotary wing helicopter. Their primary missions include Anti-Submarine Warfare, Search and Rescue, Combat Search and Rescue, Logistical Operations, and the insertion/extraction of Special Forces Personnel.
- On May 20, during Search And Rescue (SAR) operations conducted by assets from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, San Diego Harbor Police, Customs and Border Protection and the Mexican Navy, the bodies of three crewmembers were recovered from the crash area.
- On May 21, SAR efforts to locate the remaining two crew members were suspended as aircrew survivability was doubtful.
- The U.S.Navy is now focusing on the feasibility of salvage operations.
- Experienced search and salvage specialists from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 1 are using Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) with side-scan sonar technology to locate the helicopter in the sea.
- The data collected by the UUVs will be analyzed to help determine follow-on salvage operations.
- The mishap is under investigation.
It may be recalled that the “Indians” of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 6 reached a new milestone on February 8, 2008 by achieving 19 years of flight operations without a class “A” mishap.
Here is a photograph from U.S.Navy.
Search and salvage specialists from Explosive Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 1 deploy an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) 2009 into the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of the HH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter crash site. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications 1st Class Scott Taylor/Released)
View a video news clip: San Diego. Calif. Navy Seahawk HH60 helicopter crash
Read more from the U.S.Navy, Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron HS-6.
Posts in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:
Programmable Smart Switches and Smart Displays for Marine Applications
Transatlantic Tunnel Telectroscope Links London and New York
Update: May 23
Three mine countermeasure ships, USS Champion (MCM 4), USS Devastator (MCM 6) and USS Pioneer (MCM 9) have also joined in search efforts on May 21 for the HH-60 Seahawk helicopter. Read more from the U.S.Navy.
Update: May 25
Pictures of departed crewmembers are displayed during a memorial service in the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
The names of the five Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron (HS) 6 aircrew involved in the crash of Navy HH-60 Seahawk helicopter are:
- Lt. Cmdr. Eric J. Purvis, 37, of Poway, Calif.
- Lt. Allison M. Oubre, 27, of Slidell, La.
- Naval Air Crewman 1st Class (AW/NAC) Samuel “Grant” Kerslake, 41, of Hot Springs, Ark.
- Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class (AW/NAC) Aaron L. Clingman, 25, of Bend, Ore.
- Naval Air Crewman 3rd Class (AW/NAC) Sean M. Ward, 20, of Lovelock, Nev.
The above photograph is from U.S.Navy. Photograph by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Patrick Heil/Released.
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Our deepest condolences to the families of this tragedy. Our son Lt. Adam Dyer, USN was killed in a Navy Seahawk Helicopter January 2007 from North Island (Coronado, CA). After the investigation the Navy reported the cause of the accident was inconclusive! The Navy knows why these helicopters keep going down in training not combat. How many of our loved ones have to die before the Navy grounds these helicopters? It’s all about money! If any family member from the May 19, 2009 accident in San Diego, the May 7, 2007 accident in Nevada, or any other family who lost a loved one in a Navy helicopter wants to contact us please visit http://www.adamdyer.com . No one should go through this alone.
Condolences on your losses. As a 28 year career pilot in the Navy, and someone who has attended many funerals and notified many grieving widows, nobody knows more how these accidents impact family.
However, IF and when the Navy finds out why aircraft crash in mishaps like this, they do ALL they can to fix the problem, not cover it up. Unfortunately, many times it is simply pilot or crew error and lacking a “black box” to record voice and actions it is impossible to tell this, hence inconclusive. Other times, due to the damage the impact causes on engines, cockpits, rotors, gearboxes etc, or just plain missing, the investigators simply can’t determine which part failed, hence inconclusive. These investigations are not releasable, because it allows pilots, aircrew and maintenance people to freely talk about what they saw, did, or thought without fear of punishment. The second investigation, the JAG is the one that is the punishing arm. Never do the two mix, which allows them to discuss things off the official legal record to ensure the same issues don’t kill others. Anyway, there is no big conspiracy, these investigations are all run and conducted by people like Adam, Eric and others who are all pilots, family men/women and have the best interests of the country, our fellow pilots and family in mind. If there was a move to cover something up, those of us who fly, are men and women honor and simply would not allow it. You would see wardrooms of pilots resigning in droves out of protest. It is us, afterall, who fly these machines day in and day out.
I withold my email and name, not due to some cospiracy or fear of reprisals from the Military, but simply that the message is what is important, not ongoing dialog back and forth.
My sincere condolences
how much deeper it will go as u shown in thw digram
As a member of the Air Wing when this tragedy happened, and also as a mishap investigator I know the chain of events that has to happen.
First and formost, the deaths of crew is a blow felt by everyone in the famlies, in that squadron, on that ship, and by us all. It makes me realize how short our lives are and makes me try to enjoy my love ones. Now for someone to think from grief or just trusting the military, that it would just “cover something up” and not address a problem that occured causing the death of someone and the loss of a multi-million dollar aircraft, is nothing short of being closed minded and shows the lack of being informed. I am greatly sorry for the loss of your son, and pray that you find peace someday.