Salvage ship to assist in Black Hawk recovery off Hawaii

Stars and Stripes ^ | Sept 8 , 2017 | WILLIAM COLE

[LeoWindhorse]

A 240-foot salvage ship is on its way to aid in the recovery of a crashed Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and its missing crew west of Kaena Point, a spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division said.

The Military Sealift Command-chartered MV HOS Dominator, a submarine support ship, is expected to arrive in the coming days, Lt. Col. Curt Kellogg said Thursday.

The ship’s involvement represents a transition from seafloor sonar mapping and camera observation by the Navy using an unmanned underwater vehicle and remotely operated vehicle to actual salvage and recovery.

All five crew members from the Hawaii-based Black Hawk have been declared deceased since the nighttime Aug. 15 crash and an intensive search at sea involving the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and city and state agencies. [snip] Kellogg said the Navy “found the edges of what they think is the majority of the debris field” using underwater robots. A lot of the wreckage is in 100 to 150 feet of water roughly a mile offshore, he said.

“There are some items that are a bit more northwest (of Kaena Point), but the primary area is probably more generally west,” Kellogg said.

Navy divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, who had been conducting seafloor mapping, are expected to dive on the debris field starting next week.

[LeoWindhorse]

We try not to leave anybody behind . Even when they are on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean . God rest their souls . So sad .

[joethedrummer]

I’m pretty close friends with the wife of that crew. They’re really torn up over this.

[Freedom4US]

This sounds kind of morbid, but is there a list of crewmembers and personnel killed in crashes, of the Army? I ETS’d some time ago but with all the wars &c over the years I’d like to see a comprehensive list. As everyone knows by now, training is dangerous too.

[LeoWindhorse]

Wing of Lightning ! strong...