Thu, Jan 16, 2014
Was Located In Aircraft's Cockpit Late Monday
Navy Divers searching the wreckage of the MH-53E "Sea Dragon" recovered the remains of missing pilot Lt. Sean Christopher Snyder (pictured) Tuesday.
Divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2, operating aboard USNS Grasp (T-ARS-51), located the aircraft's cockpit late Monday using a remotely operated vehicle and confirmed the presence of remains in the wreckage. Salvage operations were suspended late Monday evening due to deteriorating weather conditions. USNS Grasp resumed recovery efforts early Tuesday morning.
Snyder, 39, assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 14, went missing when his MH-53E "Sea Dragon" crashed off the coast of Virginia Beach while conducting routine mine countermeasure training.
Five crewmembers were on board the MH-53E when it crashed Jan. 8, approximately 18 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. Four of the crew members were rescued and taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for treatment. Two crewmembers died at the hospital from their injuries. The two other rescued crewmembers have been released from the hospital.
A memorial service for the three crewmembers killed in the crash is being planned for Friday at Naval Station Norfolk.
The cause of the crash is being investigated.
The Snyder family released the following statement:
"Divers have recovered the remains of Lt. Sean Snyder. The family is truly thankful to the men and women of the United States Navy. Sean was a man of honor and a true hero, not only to his country, but also to his wife, children, family, and friends. Our strength and trust remain in Christ."
(US Navy photo)
More News
An Amazing Experience Awaits The Chosen Few... Oshkosh, to us, seems the perfect place to get started on watching aviation recover the past couple of years... and so ANN is putting>[...]
“NBAA has a tremendous responsibility to the business aviation industry, and we are constantly collaborating with them. Our flight departments, professionals and aircraft own>[...]
Dead Reckoning Dead reckoning, as applied to flying, is the navigation of an airplane solely by means of computations based on airspeed, course, heading, wind direction, and speed,>[...]
Aero Linx: Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST) We are a public–private initiative to enhance worldwide flight operations safety in all segments of the vertical flight indust>[...]
We're Everywhere... Thanks To You! Even with the vast resources and incredibly far-reaching scope of the Aero-News Network, every now and then a story that should be reported on sl>[...]