SAN DIEGO - One crewmember was rescued and five others are unaccounted for after a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed Tuesday afternoon off the coast of San Diego, military officials said.
The MH-60S helicopter reportedly crashed into the sea at about 4:30 p.m. while "conducting routine flight operations" some 60 nautical miles from San Diego's coast, according to the Navy. It was embarked aboard the San Diego-based Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln.
No information was provided about the status of the person rescued or where they were taken. The search is expected to continue through the night, Coast Guard officials said.
Other information, including on the circumstances of the crash, were not immediately known.
The MH-60S is a versatile aircraft that typically carries a crew of four and is used in missions including combat support, humanitarian disaster relief and search and rescue.
Retired Air Force Maj. Glenn Ignazio told FOX 5 the helicopter has an "exceptional safety record" dating back to the early 2000s.
"The Blackhawk main body that it is built off of is the same aircraft that is used throughout the Air Force, the Army and, of course, many militaries around the world," Ignazio said. "It's a very safe aircraft."
Check back for updates on this developing story.
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