Navy recovers remains of 5 sailors killed in August helicopter crash

The Navy has recovered the remains of five sailors and the wreckage of their MH-60S Seahawk helicopter that crashed Aug. 31 off the deck of an aircraft carrier while off the southern California coast.

The Naval Sea Systems Command’s salvage and dive team recovered the aircraft and remains on Oct. 8 from a depth of approximately 5,300 feet, according to a service statement released Tuesday.

The team arrived Oct. 10 at Naval Air Station North Island, where the remains recovered from the crash were transferred to Dover Air Force Base for identification.

The Seahawk crashed off the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier after it touched down and “experienced side-to-side vibrations,” causing the main rotor to strike the flight deck. The aircraft, which had been conducting routine operations approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego at the time, then fell over the side of the ship, according to a “mishap summary” from the Naval Safety Center. 

Five sailors aboard the helicopter were killed in the incident, with five more aboard the carrier injured. One sailor who was on the helicopter was rescued. 

The five sailors who died were previously identified as Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class James Buriak, 31; Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah Burns, 31; Lt. Bradley Foster, 29; Lt. Paul Fridley, 28; and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey Tucker, 21.

An investigation into the accident is ongoing.