A search and rescue operation is underway after a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed off the coast of Norfolk, Va., Wednesday.
The Navy confirmed on their twitter account that an MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter had gone into the water, but the cause of the crash was not immediately identified.
The Coast Guard is searching for five people in the ocean about 18 nautical miles east of Cape Henry, The Virginian-Pilot confirms.
The status of the crew is unknown.
The MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter is nearly 100 feet in length and can travel at speeds of up to 172 mph, according to a description on the Navy's website. Its primary use is to transfer heavy equipment.
The Navy had planned to start phasing out the MH-53E Sea Dragon’s in the mid-2000s, but kept them flying since they didn’t have a viable replacement, the Virginian-Pilot reports. Instead, the Navy invested millions to upgrade and better maintain the aircraft, as well as to hire additional maintenance personnel.
Twenty-nine of the helicopters still remain in service and are assigned to two Norfolk-based squadrons.
The crash comes a day after a fatal U.S. Air Force helicopter accident on the other side of the Atlantic.
On Tuesday, four crewmen were killed when their HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter went down during a training mission in the Cley coastal area of Norfolk county in England.
Fox News' Justin Fishel contributed to this report.
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