Mechanical failure caused deadly Navy helicopter crash

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Navy says a helicopter crash that killed five crewmembers off the Southern California coast last year was caused by mechanical failure, not pilot error. The Navy announced Tuesday that a command investigation determined that a damper hose failed on the MC-60S Seahawk, causing severe vibrations as the aircraft was landing on a carrier off of San Diego last August. The rotor hit the deck and the helicopter fell into the sea and sank. The Navy says there’s no evidence that pilot error or weather conditions played any role in the crash.