Sitka, United States: A United States Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crashed during a routine training mission near Sitka, Alaska, on June 22, injuring all four crew members on board and prompting a formal investigation into the accident.
The helicopter, assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, went down near Harbor Mountain, a sparsely populated area several miles outside the southeast Alaskan community of Sitka on Baranof Island. The aircraft was conducting a training flight when the crash occurred, according to Coast Guard officials.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Arctic District command center received notification of the crash at approximately 10:07 a.m. local time. Emergency responders, including Sitka Fire and Rescue personnel, were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Rescue crews arrived at approximately 11:00 a.m. and evacuated all four crew members to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center for treatment. No fatalities were reported.
Initial reports described the extent of the injuries as unknown. However, Coast Guard officials later confirmed that all four crew members survived and sustained minor injuries.
“We are incredibly relieved our crew members survived with only minor injuries,” Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District, said in a statement.
The Coast Guard identified the aircraft as an MH-60 Jayhawk, the service’s primary long-range search-and-rescue helicopter. The helicopter is a military-operated aircraft owned and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and is routinely used for search-and-rescue missions, medical evacuations, law enforcement operations, and training exercises throughout Alaska and other coastal regions.
Officials have not released the identities of the four crew members involved in the accident. Petty Officer Ashly Murphy confirmed that the helicopter was conducting a routine training flight at the time of the crash.
In its initial statement, the Coast Guard said: “The safety, well-being, and rescue of our crew members is our absolute, immediate priority. The cause of the incident is not yet known. A formal investigation will be conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding the event.”
Authorities have not disclosed what led to the crash. There has been no indication of mechanical failure, weather-related factors, operational issues, or human factors, and investigators have not announced any preliminary findings.
The accident occurred near Harbor Mountain, a rugged area overlooking Sitka. The region is known for challenging aviation conditions, mountainous terrain, coastal weather systems, fjords, and remote operating environments frequently encountered by Coast Guard aircrews.
Following the crash, the Coast Guard said it would conduct a formal investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The incident marks the latest serious aviation accident in the United States during June and comes as federal and military investigators continue examining several other recent aircraft crashes across the country.
