The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Ahi searching for five crewmembers aboard a downed Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter west of Ka’ena Point, Oahu, Aug. 16, 2017. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
HONOLULU — Responders are continuing the search for five missing Army aviators from a downed Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter approximately two miles west of Ka’ena Point, Oahu, Wednesday.
Searching are:
- HC-130 Hercules airplane aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point
- MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point
- Coast Guard Cutter Ahi (WPB 87364) and crew, an 87-foot patrol boat homeported in Honolulu
- 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu
- CH-47 Chinook helicopter aircrew from Wheeler Army Airfield
- MH-60R Seahawk helicopter aircrew from Navy Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37
- P-3 Orion aircrew from Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay
- Shore patrols and a helicopter crew from Honolulu Fire Department
- Crews from Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services and a crew from the Hawaii Department of Land of Natural Resources
En route is:
- Coast Guard Cutter Walnut (WLB 205) and crew, a 225-foot buoy tender homeported in Honolulu
None of the aviators have been located yet. Debris has been spotted and recovered near Ka’ena Point by responders. A joint forward incident command post has been established at Hale’iwa Boat Harbor to coordinate search and rescue efforts.
Debris from the crash should be considered hazardous material and should only be recovered by recovery teams with the proper training and personal protective equipment. The debris poses potential risk and could cause serious bodily harm due to sharp edges.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Command Center in Honolulu received a call at 10:08 p.m. Tuesday from personnel at Wheeler Army Airfield stating they lost communications with one of their UH-60 Blackhawk aircrews. Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of response assets.
The two Black Hawk aircrews were reportedly conducting training between Ka’ena Point and Dillingham Airfield at the time communications were lost.
Weather on scene is currently 17 mph winds with 6 foot seas.
