The Coast Guard has recovered the remains of the Air Station Sitka helicopter that was destroyed in the last month close to Petersburg however it could take as long as eight months to find out the cause of the crash.
In a press release, in a press release, the Coast Guard reports that the aircraft was taken off the shores of Read Island last week. Today, the MH-60 Jayhawk is heading towards North Carolina for an inspection as part of an investigation into what led to the crash.
On the 13th of November. 13 13th, the Air Station Sitka crew was responding to a call from a fishing vessel that was leaking water within Farragut Bay, about 20 miles to the northwest of Petersburg. The skipper of the vessel was able to bring the flood under control before when the helicopter arrived. But something went wrong, which caused the aircraft to crash the nearby Read Island.
Two men from the boat were able to assist of the helicopter’s crew and aided them throughout the night with communication and other supplies as they waited for rescuers in emergency from Petersburg and an additional helicopter from Air Station Sitka. All four members of the crew were taken in the direction of Seattle, two of suffering serious injuries. There were two serious injuries. Coast Guard now says that the four members of the crew have returned to their homes following the hospitalization and are in recovery.
The weather was not ideal for the mission, with temperatures reaching 40 mph over the area as well as low-visibility.
The Coast Guard established a security area around the site of the crash and started an investigation. On December. 8 with the help of U.S. Army’s Downed Aircraft Recovery team, the Forest Service, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and Petersburg Fire and Rescue, along with others the team was capable of regaining the helicopter.
In an email sent to KCAW, Coast Guard spokesman Cmdr. Mike Salerno said the helicopter is currently being moved to the Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where investigators will conduct further examination of the airframe.
Salerno said to KCAW Aviation experts all over the agency have been conducting an investigation into the crash, from obtaining and studying the wreckage, to interviewing everyone that were involved in the crash and analyzing the impact of the environment. Salerno explained that the investigation could last up to eight months.
