Navy MH-60S Helicopter Makes Emergency Water Landing in Arabian Sea, Crew Member Missing

A Navy crew member remained missing Thursday morning after an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea, according to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet.

The helicopter had four crew members aboard when it went into the water at about 3:30 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday, the Navy said. Three crew members were recovered and were in stable condition aboard the carrier.

“U.S. Navy assets in the region are currently searching” for the missing crew member, 5th Fleet said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Navy said there was no indication that hostile action caused the emergency. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.

The service had not publicly identified the missing crew member or the three recovered crew members as of Thursday morning. It also had not released the helicopter’s mission, the exact location of the emergency water landing, what search assets were involved, or whether the aircraft was recovered or lost.

Military.com contacted U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet for additional information Thursday morning, including whether the search remained active, whether next of kin had been notified, and whether the aircraft had been recovered. The command did not immediately respond before publication.

Background of the MH-60S, Deployment

The MH-60S was assigned to the George H.W. Bush, a Norfolk, Va.-based carrier that deployed March 31 with Carrier Air Wing 7. The carrier entered the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in April after sailing around southern Africa and into the Indian Ocean, according to USNI News.

Carrier Air Wing 7 includes the “Nightdippers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5, an MH-60S squadron based at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va. The Navy’s initial statement did not publicly identify the specific squadron tied to Wednesday’s emergency landing.

The MH-60S Sea Hawk is a workhorse helicopter across the Navy. According to Naval Air Systems Command, the aircraft is used for missions including anti-surface warfare, combat support, humanitarian disaster relief, combat search and rescue, aeromedical evacuation, special warfare support and airborne mine countermeasures.

NAVAIR lists the helicopter’s crew as four people, the same number aboard during Wednesday’s incident.

The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group deployed with the carrier and the guided-missile destroyers USS Mason, USS Donald Cook and USS Ross. The carrier and its air wing have been operating in a region that has seen a heavy U.S. naval presence this year.

The Navy has not said whether the three recovered crew members were injured or only medically evaluated after being brought back aboard the carrier. Its public statement described them only as being in stable condition.

This story will be updated with any additional information.