Navy suspends active search for missing crew member after helicopter goes down in Arabian Sea

The U.S. Navy says it has suspended the active search for a sailor missing since Wednesday, when a MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter went down in the Arabian Sea.

The search concluded Sunday following 102 hours of extensive and coordinated rescue efforts over 14,000 square miles, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet said in a post on X.

“The Sailor’s name is being withheld until at least 24 hours after next-of-kin notification is complete in accordance with Navy policy,” the post added.

Three of the helicopter’s four crew members were recovered and were last reported in stable condition aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, the carrier to which the Sea Hawk was assigned.

The cause of the incident is under investigation, but there was no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action, the U.S. Navy said on Wednesday. Sunday’s update did not provide any further details about the cause of the crash.

The statement said the U.S. Navy and Air Force conducted the search using helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, and several guided-missile destroyers.

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 hunter 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.

Stars and Stripes reporter Gary Warner contributed to this report.