The U.S. Navy on Saturday recovered the helicopter that crashed into the San Diego Bay with six crew members on board earlier this week, military officials said.
A mobile diving and salvage company lifted the aircraft's body, which was located 15 feet deep in the water, around noon on Saturday, according to U.S. Navy Commander Beth Teach. The aircraft was then stabilized on a barge, taken to Naval Base Coronado and offloaded onto the pier.
It took nearly 10 hours to recover the helicopter, Teach said.
The MH-60R helicopter from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 41 (HSM-41) was carrying two pilots and four aircrew when it went down around 6:40 p.m. on Thursday during day-into-night search and rescue training.
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Due to the nature of the training, which specialized in rescue swimming, a safety boat was nearby, and all six crew members survived, thanks also in part to the assistance of Federal Fire, Teach said. All crew members were promptly moved ashore to undergo medical evaluation and were found without any critical or life-threatening injuries.
All of them are in good condition and were all released from the hospital by 7 p.m. on Saturday, according to Teach.
"I am immensely proud of the teamwork and determination shown by our Sailors and civilians throughout the recovery," Capt. Newt McKissick, commanding officer of Naval Base Coronado, said in a press release. "Most importantly, I am grateful the crew is safe, and I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who swiftly and effectively accomplished this significant task."
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Divers from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit THREE assessed the crash site on Friday.
The initial reports indicated that the body of the aircraft was still intact, the rotor blade created minimal debris and no fuel leaks were observed. Out of precaution, the Navy placed a fuel containment boom around the crash site, Teach said.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
Retired Navy Commander Billy Walsh spoke to NBC 7 on Friday about the crash.
“In 2006, we lost a crew off the coast of San Clemente Island, and that one was a particularly difficult mishap investigation because four members of the crew were lost, and the aircraft was at the bottom of the ocean," Walsh said.
“It's a huge, huge relief because you can replace helicopters, but you can't replace the lives that you lost,” Walsh said.
HSM-41 is a Fleet Replacement Squadron that trains the Navy's newest Naval Aviators and Naval Aircrewmen to fly and fight the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, which is the Navy's most advanced rotary wing maritime strike platform, according to Teach.
No other details were available.
