U.S. Navy Still Investigating The Mishap

On August 15, an incident occurred in ranges at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada. It involved two MH-60S Seahawk Helicopters, each carrying five crew members.

The Seahawks are a part of the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 (HSC-12), which is assigned to Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5). They are currently at Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon to receive comprehensive simulated and real-world training.

At the time of the mishap, the two Seahawks were conducting routine training operations in a remote Fallon Range Training Complex. Then, around 7:25 pm local time, the incident occurred. The Navy has not released details on the nature of the incident, but did report that all ten crewmembers were taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. No fatalities were reported and the crews have since been released.

This mishap follows a recent train of Naval Seahawk incidents. On October 19, 2018, one crashed while executing an emergency landing on the USS Ronald Reagan. Four air crew and twelve sailors were injured, with some being airlifted to a Philippine hospital for treatment.

Then, on August 31, 2021, a Seahawk flipped off the deck of USS Abraham Lincoln, killing five crew members on board. According to Navy reports, the cause was “divergent and uncommanded lateral and vertical vibrations” of the helicopter on touchdown.

The Navy is still investigating the cause of the latest incident. NAS Fallon personnel have secured the site for examination.

FMI: www.navy.mil