A United States Coast Guard helicopter crashed during a routine training mission in southeast Alaska on June 22, leaving four crew members with minor injuries. The incident occurred near Harbour Mountain outside Sitka, prompting a rapid emergency response and a formal investigation into the cause.
Four crew members rescued after MH-60 Jayhawk crash
The Coast Guard confirmed that the aircraft involved was an MH-60 Jayhawk assigned to Air Station Sitka. The helicopter crashed at approximately 10:07 a.m. local time while conducting a scheduled training flight near Harbour Mountain.
A personal locator beacon activated shortly after the crash, allowing rescue teams from Sitka Fire and Rescue to quickly locate the aircraft. All four crew members were transported to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Centre for treatment. Authorities confirmed there were no fatalities, and all injuries were described as minor.
Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District, said:
“We are incredibly relieved our crew members survived with only minor injuries.”
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. The Coast Guard has launched a formal investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident.
To ensure search and rescue operations continue uninterrupted across southeast Alaska, the service has temporarily reassigned an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and crew from Air Station Kodiak to Sitka while the investigation is carried out. Harbour Mountain Road was also temporarily closed to allow emergency crews and investigators access to the crash site.
The accident comes during a period of heightened attention on aviation safety in the United States following several recent aircraft accidents, although officials have not suggested any connection between the incidents.
The successful rescue of all four crew members prevented what could have been a more serious outcome. As investigators examine the wreckage and flight data, the Coast Guard continues to maintain its search and rescue capability across Alaska while working to determine what caused the training flight to end in a crash.
What are your thoughts on this latest Coast Guard aviation incident? Let us know in the comments.
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