** US Navy off California begins recovery operation for crew and wreckage of chopper crash that killed two corpsmen and other crew members
UNITED STATES NEWS
** US Navy recovery teams are now working on retrieving crew remains and the wreckage of an MH-605 military chopper that crashed off the coast of California August 31st, killing several corpsman and other crew members. That is the word from the Washington Examiner (Mike Brest/September 17) which said investigators believe the wreckage is around 60 nautical miles from the coast and some 4,000 – 6,000 feet below on the sea floor. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but final contact indicated the aircraft was experiencing severe vibration. The main tail rotor then struck the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier before the helicopter plunged into the sea. Killed in the mishap was Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah F. Burns, 31, Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey J. Tucker, 21, pilot Lt. Bradley A. Foster, 29, pilot Lt. Paul R. Fridley, 28, and Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class James P. Buriak, 31.
