Coast Guard Recovers 4 Crew With Minor Injuries After Alaska Helicopter Crash

Officials said the personnel escaped with ‘non-serious’ injuries after a training flight accident.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crashed near Sitka, Alaska. [Credit: U.S. Coast Guard]

Key Takeaways:

A U.S. Coast Guard Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crashed in Alaska during a training flight, with all four personnel sustaining non-serious injuries.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, and it follows a similar Coast Guard helicopter crash in Alaska in November 2023.
Alaska has a significantly higher aircraft accident rate than the rest of the U.S., often attributed to harsh weather conditions and outdated infrastructure.
Federal agencies are actively working to improve aviation safety in Alaska, including investing in new weather stations, cameras, and modernizing flight service automation systems.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday said it recovered four personnel with “non-serious” injuries after their Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crashed in Alaska during a training flight.

The Coast Guard said watch standers at its Arctic District command center were alerted to the crash near Sitka, Alaska, around 10:07 a.m. local time on Monday, after the crew’s personal locator beacon was activated. Sitka Fire and Rescue personnel located the crew around 11 a.m. and flew them to nearby Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center.