A U.S. sailor directs the landing of an MH-60S Sea Hawk during flight operations aboard USS George H.W. Bush on May 14, 2026. (U.S. Navy)
The U.S. Navy was searching Wednesday for a missing crew member after an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to USS George H.W. Bush conducted an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet said in a post on X.
Three of the helicopter’s four crew members have been recovered and are in stable condition aboard George H.W. Bush.
The cause of incident is under investigation, but there was no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action, the statement said.
The Navy did not say if the helicopter involved in the emergency landing was salvaged or lost.
Carrier Air Wing 7 operates from the USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier. The squadrons include the “Nightdippers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 from Naval Station Norfolk. The squadron flies the MH-60S variant. The Navy says the helicopter usually operates with three to four crew members.
The MH-60S is primarily used for search, transport and support roles. The MH-60R used by another squadron on George H.W. Bush is an anti-submarine hunters and carries advanced sonar and buoys.
The “S” or “Sierra” variant involved in Wednesday’s incident has large sliding doors on both sides, making operations easier.
Slightly less than half of the Navy’s battle force ships currently deployed and operating at sea worldwide are in the Middle East, according to USNI News data. That figure excludes ships on local operations.
Additionally, about 50,000 U.S. service members are operating in the Middle East, CENTCOM said Monday.
George H.W. Bush deployed March 31 from Naval Station Norfolk and sailed around the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa to begin operating in the CENTCOM area of responsibility in the Arabian Sea since April 23.
