Coast Guard Helicopter Crashes in Alaska, Injuring Four Crew Members
Quick Look
- A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crashed on Harbor Mountain in Sitka, Alaska, injuring all four crew members.
- The incident occurred during a routine training flight, and the cause is under investigation.
- Harbor Mountain Road was closed during the recovery operation.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
A Coast Guard helicopter crashed in Alaska, injuring four crew members. This incident follows a series of other major aviation accidents this month.
A Coast Guard helicopter crashed in Alaska on Monday, injuring all four crew members aboard.
The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter went down at Harbor Mountain in Sitka, though no deaths were reported. The community is located around 600 miles north of Anchorage.
The crew members were taken to a hospital with injuries, their severity not immediately clear. According to local officials, Harbor Mountain Road was closed to the public during the recovery operation.
In a statement, officials said they were alerted to the crash when a member of the public called 911.
“The dispatcher immediately called the number back and obtained information regarding a helicopter crash on Harbor Mountain,” the press release said.
The Coast Guard quickly responded, stating on X: "First responders and search and rescue assets are currently responding.
“The safety, well-being, and rescue of our crew members is our absolute, immediate priority." Petty Officer Ashly Murphy confirmed the crash occurred during a routine training flight.
The Coast Guard will investigate the incident, though the cause remains unknown.
This helicopter crash follows a string of three major plane crashes this month. A business jet crashed on a highway in Laredo, Texas, on Tuesday night, killing one person.
On June 15, a B-52 crashed during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing all eight people aboard. The day before, on June 14, twelve people died when a plane on a skydiving outing crashed in Missouri.
The victims of the B-52 crash were identified as Col. Gregory Watson, 53; Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50; Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40; Maj. Alexander Davis, 34; Maj. Robert Dee, 40; Maj. Brad Hovey, 35; Jeromy Smith, 32; and Christopher Rischar, 41.
Col. Thomas Tauer, commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, issued a statement honoring the deceased: "They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates."
Boeing confirmed that Watson and Middleton were company employees, adding their loss "is deeply felt across our teams, and our hearts remain with their families, loved ones and those who worked with them."
Open Questions
- What caused the helicopter crash?
- What is the severity of the crew's injuries?
