Coast Guard, Army responding to report of downed Army helicopter off Oahu

 

News Release

Aug. 16, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 14th District Hawaii and the Pacific Contact: 14th District Public Affairs Office: (808) 535-3230 After Hours: (808) 341-9849

Coast Guard, Army responding to report of downed Army helicopter off Oahu

HONOLULU — Coast Guard and Army personnel are responding to a report of a downed Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with five crew aboard approximately two miles west of Kaena Point, Oahu, Wednesday.

Responding 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
• UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter aircrew from Wheeler Army Airfield
  
• Shore patrol and a boatcrew from Honolulu Fire Department

A debris field was spotted near Kaena Point by the Coast Guard Hercules and Army Black Hawk aircrews at 11:28 p.m. Tuesday. Responders are currently searching for the five missing aircrewmen.

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 Black Hawk aircrews. Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of response assets.

Two Black Hawk aircrews were reportedly conducting training between Kaena Point and Dillingham Airfield at the time communications were lost.

Weather on scene is currently 11 mph winds with 2 foot seas.

There is no imagery currently available for this case. 

-USCG-