US Navy helicopter crashes on USS Ronald Reagan off Philippines; sailors hurt

Jane Onyanga-Omara | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Sailors aboard the USS Ronald Reagan receive cargo The aircraft carrier provides security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

A number of sailors were injured Friday when a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed on the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier in the Philippine Sea.

The Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a statement that the MH-60 Seahawk "made an emergency landing and crashed" shortly after takeoff at about 9. a.m. local time while the carrier was undertaking routine operations off the Philippine coast.

The statement did not specify how many sailors were hurt. Task Force 70 spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight said 12 people were injured, military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported. Knight said four air crewmembers were aboard the helicopter when it crashed, according to Stars and Stripes.

The Navy said the injured were in stable condition for non-life threatening injuries ranging from minor abrasions and lacerations to fractures.

It said the most seriously injured were evacuated to a hospital in the Philippines, while the others were being evaluated by the carrier's medics.

"The cause of the mishap is under investigation," the 7th Fleet statement said. The aircraft carrier has resumed flight operations, it added.

Last week, USS Ronald Reagan took part in the international naval review off Jeju, a South Korean island.