SAN DIEGOSAN DIEGO — Five sailors killed when their helicopter crashed on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and fell into the sea were identified by the Navy on Sunday.
The six-person crew of the MH-60S Seahawk helicopter were conducting routine operations on the flight deck of the carrier Tuesday afternoon when the helicopter crashed.
One of the helicopter’s crew was rescued from the water following the crash and is in stable condition ashore. Five Abraham Lincoln sailors were injured in the crash; two were also taken ashore for treatment.
A three-day search for survivors was called off Saturday morning and the Navy switched to an effort to recover their bodies. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
The sailors killed include two pilots, an aircrewman and two corpsmen, the Navy said. All were attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8, which is based at Naval Air Station North Island.
The Abraham Lincoln also is based at the air station.
The MH-60S helicopter typically carries a crew of about four and is used in missions including combat , humanitarian disaster relief and search and rescue.
The Seahawk was conducting routine flight operations from the ship when it crashed about 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The ship has been conducting exercises off the San Diego coast in preparation for a deployment next year, the Navy has said.
Lt. Sam Boyle, a spokesperson for the San Diego-based 3rd Fleet, said the Navy is making every effort to recover the helicopter and the remains of the sailors.
They are:
- Lt. Bradley A. Foster, 29, a pilot from Oakhurst, California. Foster graduated from the California State University Maritime Academy in Vallejo, Calif., where he studied studied global studies and maritime affairs, his Facebook profile says. He was married, and the couple had a daughter who recently turned one.
- Lt. Paul R. Fridley, 28, a pilot from Annandale, Virginia. Fridley studied mechanical engineering at the University of Virginia and was married, according to his Facebook profile.
- Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class James P. Buriak, 31, from Salem, Virginia. According to his Facebook profile, Buriak studied sports management at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, and was married.
- Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah F. Burns, 31, from Severna Park, Maryland
- Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey J. Tucker, 21, from St. Louis, Missouri
The loss of the five sailors bookmarks a grim week for San Diego’s military community. Ten troops based at Camp Pendleton — nine Marines and one sailor — were among the 13 service killed in a suicide bomb attack at the Kabul airport on Aug. 26.
Staff writer Lyndsay Winkley and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
