Helicopter from USS Abraham Lincoln crashes into the Pacific

A MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter embarked on the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln crashed into the Pacific Ocean Tuesday afternoon.

The crash occurred at about 4:30 p.m. roughly 60 nautical miles off San Diego, the Navy said in a statement. Search and rescue efforts involving several Navy and Coast Guard vessels were ongoing as of 11:50 p.m. local time. Abraham Lincoln had been underway in recent days, with Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet and E/A-18 Growler jets conducting carrier qualifications, according to a press release sent out earlier on Tuesday.

They confirmed that one person had been rescued but five other crew members were still missing, while the USS Abraham Lincoln had returned to Sam Diego as the rescue mission continues. The U.S. Navy Third Fleet said that the rescue mission is still ongoing involving "multiple Coast Guard and Navy air and surface assets," and confirmed that "more information will be posted as it becomes available."

The ship that the helicopter was embarked on is a Nimitz-Class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which are some of the largest warships in the world, with the USS Abraham Lincoln able to carry 90 helicopters, according to Naval Technology. Nimitz-Class ships, which support naval operations across the world, were the largest warships ever built until the introduction of commissioning of USS Gerald R Ford in 2017