4 Lost in Navy Copter Crash

A Navy helicopter participating in maneuvers with the aircraft carrier Ranger disappeared from radar screens and apparently crashed into the ocean early today. All four crew members aboard are missing and presumed dead, the Navy said.

Names of the four were being withheld pending notification of next of kin, said Fred Wilson, a spokesman at North Island Naval Air Station, the home base of the carrier and chopper. The SH-3H helicopter crashed in waters about 80 miles off the San Diego coast while conducting “plane guard” duty for the Ranger in which choppers take to the air so they will be in position to quickly rescue ditched fliers if their planes go down.