US Navy helicopter crashes in ocean

A US Navy helicopter has crashed Tuesday in the ocean off Southern California during a routine flight from an aircraft carrier, military officials say.

A search and rescue operation was launched after the MH-60S helicopter crashed on Tuesday afternoon about 60 nautical miles off San Diego, the US Pacific Fleet said on Twitter.

The crash happened while the aircraft was “conducting routine flight operations”, according to the Navy. It had been aboard USS Abraham Lincoln.

“Search and rescue operations are ongoing with multiple Coast Guard and Navy air and surface assets,” the tweet said.

No other details were immediately available.

The MH-60S is a versatile aircraft that typically carries a crew of four and is used in missions including combat support, humanitarian disaster relief and search and rescue.