Update: US Coast Guard helicopter crashes near Sitka; four crew members reported safe

Accident happened Monday morning during routine training flight; cause under investigation

An MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka during a search and rescue demonstration in Juneau on May 3, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Independent file)

By Mark Sabbatini and Jasz Garrett

Juneau Independent

This story has been updated with additional information.

A U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crashed near Sitka during a routine training flight on Monday morning, with the four crew members aboard rescued and brought to Mount Edgecumbe Medical Center, according to officials.

In an updated press release on Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard reported that all four crew members are safe with non-serious injuries.

"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. "We are grateful for the swift response by the Sitka Fire and Rescue who assisted us during this critical time."

The Coast Guard was notified at 10:07 a.m. of the accident near Harbor Mountain, located just northwest of downtown Sitka, said Petty Officer Ashly Murphy, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard’s Arctic District. She said emergency responders from Sitka arrived about an hour later and transported the crew to the hospital.

"The cause of the incident is not yet known," the Coast Guard noted in a social media statement posted about 11 a.m. "A formal investigation will be conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding the event."

Harbor Mountain Road in Sitka was closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic during the emergency response and rescue, according to a statement published at midday by the City and Borough of Sitka. The statement notes municipal officials learned about the accident after a 911 hang-up call received by a Sitka dispatcher.

"The dispatcher immediately called the number back and obtained information regarding a helicopter crash on Harbor Mountain," the statement notes. The city’s fire chief arrived at the scene at about 10:35 a.m. and an ambulance with five Sitka Fire Department members was also dispatched to the incident.

Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak is repositioning a helicopter and crews to Coast Guard Air Station Sitka to augment and maintain operational readiness in the Southeast Alaska region, according to the afternoon update.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306. Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.