Helicopter crashes on U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan; 12 sailors injured
A Navy helicopter crashed on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan on Friday, causing non-fatal injuries to a dozen sailors, the Navy said.
The Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a statement that the MH-60 Seahawk crashed shortly after takeoff while the carrier was off the the coast of the Philippines.
All affected sailors were in stable condition and their injuries were non-life-threatening, the Navy said, adding the injuries included minor abrasions and lacerations and some fractures. The most seriously injured were airlifted to a hospital in the Philippines, the statement said.
Families of the injured were notified, the Navy said, while the carrier resumed flight operations.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight, the Task Force 70 spokesman, told Stars and Stripes newspaper that four crew members were aboard the helicopter when the crash happened. He said 12 people were injured and the carrier sustained minimal damage.
The crash occurred while the Ronald Reagan Strike Group was conducting routine operations in the Philippine Sea, which spreads north and northeast of the Philippines. The cause was under investigation.
The carrier participated in the international naval review hosted off the South Korean island of Jeju last week.
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