USN lost another Seahawk

Five service members went missing after a United States Navy MH-60S Seahawk, operated by Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron  (HSC) 8 Eight Ballers ('NH-6xx'), crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California, around sixty miles from San Diego (CA).

Of the six persons onboard, one crew member was rescued, while the US Coast Guard and the US Navy were conducting search and rescue operations for the five missing service members.

A spokesman of the 3rd fleet said the helicopter was "conducting routine flight operations" when it crashed. The Seahawk was operating from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).

This is the twelfth Seahawk the US Navy has lost since it was introduced in 2002, with the most recent crash occurring on 16 July 2021.

Photo: just illustrative for the type