** Cause of fatal US Navy air ambulance crash off California coast last August revealed
UNITED STATES NEWS
** The August 31st fatal crash of a US Navy air ambulance chopper off the coast of California was caused by a damaged damper hose. That is the word from The Navy Times (Geoff Ziezulewicz/May 4) which said the mishap involving the MH-60S Seahawk killed five sailors, including two hospital corpsmen. According to the newspaper, the hose problem prompted extensive vibrations while the crew attempted to land on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. The vessel was around 60 miles off San Diego at the time. Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey Tucker and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sara Burns, along with Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class James Buriak, Lt. Paul Fridley and Lt. Bradley Foster all perished in the accident. An Aviation Warface Systems Operator – Helicopter 3rd Class survived. Wreckage was recovered this past October. Investigators, however,  have yet to determine how the damage to the damper hose occurred in the first place.
