Overview
- A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk on a training flight from Air Station Sitka went down near Harbor Mountain, with the crash reported to watch standers at about 10:07 a.m. and responders arriving roughly an hour later.
- Rescue crews from Sitka Fire and Rescue recovered all four people aboard and transported them to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center; no deaths have been reported and their medical conditions have not been released.
- The U.S. Coast Guard said crew safety was its immediate priority and confirmed that the cause is unknown, adding that a formal investigation will determine the circumstances of the crash.
- The MH-60 Jayhawk is the Coast Guard’s medium-range search-and-rescue helicopter and typically flies with a four-person crew, a fact that matches the number of people aboard this aircraft.
- Sitka’s islanded terrain and nearby Harbor Mountain can complicate response and recovery operations, and investigators and local officials may review training, weather and maintenance records as the probe continues.