Navy helicopter crashed on the USS Ronald Reagan’s flight deck – 12 injured.
Twelve people were injured Friday when a Navy MH-60 Seahawk helicopter crashed on the USS Ronald Reagan’s flight deck in the Philippine Sea, according to Task Force 70 spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight. Four people were injured on the helicopter and eight were injured on board the ship, according to the officials. All personnel who were hurt are in stable condition and are being evaluated by medical staff.
“All injured personnel are in stable condition under evaluation by Ronald Reagan medical staff,” it added.“While some personnel will be medically evacuated ashore, none of the injuries is life-threatening.”
The severity of the injuries “ranged from minor abrasions and lacerations to fractures,” according to an updated Navy statement released Friday night.
“The most seriously injured were medically evacuated off the ship to a hospital in the Philippines while remaining injured are under evaluation by Ronald Reagan medical staff,” the statement said.
The cause of the mishap, which happened shortly after takeoff at about 9 a.m. Friday is under investigation, a Navy statement said.
Knight said maintenance crews are assessing the extent of the damage to the helicopter, which is assigned to the “Saberhawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 77. He said the Ronald Reagan “sustained minimal damage” in the crash but remains “fully mission-capable” and “resumed flight operations within a matter of hours.”
The Navy said that some “will be medically evacuated ashore” without specifying a location. An investigation has been opened into the cause of the crash, according to the statement.
The incident occurred during routine operations in the Philippine Sea, which spreads north and east of the Philippines. The aircraft carrier “remains fully mission capable” and normal flight operations to support the mission of “support and security and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region” have resumed, the Navy said.
