SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Navy says a helicopter crash that killed five crewmembers off the San Diego coast last year was caused by mechanical failure, not pilot error.
The Navy announced Tuesday that a command investigation determined that a damper hose failed on the MC-60S Seahawk, causing severe vibrations as the aircraft was landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln on August 31, 2021.
The rotor hit the deck and the helicopter fell into the sea and sank, according to Navy officials.
The Navy says there's no evidence that pilot error or weather conditions played any role in the crash.
Crew members Lt. Bradley Foster, Lt. Paul Fridley, Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 1st Class James Buriak, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Sarah Burns, and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Bailey Tucker were killed in the crash.
