Updated 6/22/26 at 4:20 p.m.
Four U.S. Coast Guard crew members involved in a helicopter crash in Sitka Monday morning have been reported safe with “non-serious injuries.”
Watch standers at the Arctic District command center in Juneau received the initial report of the crash on Harbor Mountain through the activation of the aircrew’s personal locator beacon just after 10 a.m., according to a Coast Guard press release. The MH-60 Jayhawk went down during a training flight.
Rescue crews from Sitka Fire and Rescue arrived at the site of the crash around 11 a.m. and transported all four crew members to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center.
“We are incredibly relieved our crew members survived with only minor injuries,” said Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard’s Arctic District, in the release. “We are grateful for the swift response by the Sitka Fire and Rescue who assisted us during this critical time.”
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
Harbor Mountain Road has been closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic to accommodate the crash response, according to a press release from the City of Sitka. The public is asked to avoid the area until further notice.
This is a developing story.
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Original Post, Updated 6/22/26 at 12:45 p.m.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter has reportedly crashed in Sitka. No deaths have been reported.
The MH-60 Jayhawk went down just after 10 a.m. Monday morning near Harbor Mountain during a training flight, according to a press release from the Coast Guard. Four crew members from Air Station Sitka were on board.
Rescue crews from Sitka Fire and Rescue arrived at the site of the crash around 11 a.m. and transported all four crew members to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center.
In a post on X, the Coast Guard said it would investigate the cause of the crash.
“The safety, well-being, and rescue of our crew members is our absolute, immediate priority,” the post said. “A formal investigation will be conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding the event.”
Harbor Mountain Road has been closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic to accommodate the crash response, according to a press release from the City of Sitka. The public is asked to avoid the area until further notice.
This is a developing story.
