A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed into the waters of San Diego Bay during a routine training exercise on Friday evening, according to officials. All six crew members aboard the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter survived the crash.The incident occurred around 6:40 p.m. as the helicopter was conducting training flights over the bay, said Navy Cmdr. Beth Teach, a spokesperson for the Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet.“Due to the nature of the training, a safety boat was on location, and, with the assistance of Federal Fire, all six crew members survived and were promptly moved ashore,” Teach said in a statement.The severity of the injuries suffered by the crew members was not immediately clear. However, Teach said that initial assessments showed none of them had sustained serious or life-threatening injuries.Personnel from the San Diego Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the crash site near Coronado, located across the bay from the city of San Diego.The cause of the crash remains under investigation by Navy officialsThe downed helicopter was assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 41, based at Naval Air Station North Island on the Coronado peninsula, the Navy said. The squadron trains pilots and crews to operate the MH-60R Seahawk, which is the Navys primary anti-submarine warfare helicopter but also conducts search and rescue, reconnaissance, and other missions.Further details about the crash were not immediately available as the investigation continued on Friday night. Navy officials said they would provide updates as more information became available.
