Posted on 06/06/2019 4:44:11 AM PDT by robowombat
Navy Recovers C-2A from Fatal 2017 Crash from 3 Miles Underwater
By: Sam LaGrone June 5, 2019 10:20 PM
A C-2A Greyhound assigned to the “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30 on Aug. 18, 2017. US Navy Photo
A year and a half after a fatal crash in the Philippine Sea, the Navy has recovered the wreckage of the missing C-2A Greyhound from more than three miles below the surface, USNI News has learned.
The aircraft was recovered from near its Nov. 22 crash site about 500 miles from Okinawa in late May, a U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman confirmed to USNI News on Wednesday.
“A Navy salvage team embarked on a contracted vessel and completed the recovery of the C-2A aircraft on May 21,” Cmdr. Nate Christensen, a Navy spokesman, told USNI News. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families, friends and shipmates of our three fallen sailors.”
The Greyhound’s pilot Lt. Steven Combs, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equpiment) Matthew Chialastri and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso are presumed to have died following the crash.
A Navy official told USNI News that the families of the sailors have been notified of the recovery. The service is not discussing yet if remains were found aboard the aircraft.
The C-2A, assigned to the “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30, was headed to aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) with four aircrew and seven passengers aboard the aircraft when the crash occurred just miles from the carrier.
While the investigation into the incident has yet to be officially closed, accounts from survivors point to Combs performance as the reason eight sailors survived the crash. He had to ditch the aircraft following a mechanical failure in 10-foot to 12-foot seas, according to an account in Military.com.
Combs “flew the hell out of that airplane,” his copilot told service officials after the rescue.
(left to right) Lt. Steven Combs, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equpiment) Airman Matthew Chialastri, Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso.
While the survivors were quickly rescued by helicopters from Reagan, recovering the C-2A from some of the deepest parts of the Pacific was recognized early as a challenge that would take time.
The Navy found the location of the aircraft using the Navy’s TPL-25 towed pinger locator – a so-called black box detector – after about a week of searching.
While the Navy knew the location of the aircraft, the service said at the time the recovery effort would take time.
“The C-2A rests at a depth of about 18,500 feet, making the salvage phase of this operation the deepest recovery attempt of an aircraft to date,” according to a Navy news release from the time. “Despite very challenging conditions, every effort will be made to recover the aircraft and our fallen sailors.”
The depth was beyond the 16,000-foot recovery capability native to U.S. 7th Fleet and required specialized equipment to be moved into the region, USNI News reported in early 2018.
The more than 50-year-old Greyhound design is set to be replaced by a variant of the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in the early 2020s.
RIP, brave warriors!
The aircraft has sort of a Caribou’ish look from the front view. I recall my rides on the Caribou vividly.
The effort and cost to recover that wreck from 3 miles down begs the quesiton ‘what was the Greyhound carrying that was so valuable to our enemies?’
Ehhh, probably just another big waste of money like everything else big government touches but maybe the story will come out.
Why?
What was on the plane that was so important?
America treats her dead better than most countries treat their living
This may have been a dress rehearsal to see what can be done,
Several have questioned why recover the aircraft, what was on it that made it worth the effort?
I recall a few decades ago we drove by an airbase and there were countless B52’s taking off and the boss asked: “Why are they wasting money on all that fuel?” My reply was training, they need to keep the crew and support systems trained so when they go to war everything they do will be like clockwork.
I suspect the same going on with this Navy aircraft is similar. They are testing equipment and procedures so when they have to recover something of great importance they won’t all be just sitting around with their thumbs up their rectal orifices wondering what to do.
My very first thought as well.
And they didn't effect this recovery because of any standard equipment onboard the C-2A Greyhound.
No, this aircraft was carrying something that should not fall into enemy hands.
Maybe the remains of Lt. Steven Combs, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equpiment) Airman Matthew Chialastri, or Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso?
Because in so doing, recovery of our warrior dead at most all costs is the reason why the rest of us (warrior types) are still willing to strap in, ruck up and execute dangerous tasks , even while some are routine, and know that our fate is not taken for granted.
Recovery of our dead and wounded is very important, even at the risk of others. Just think if the standard policy was “oh, well, imshallah (god wills it) so whatever, bro”, then we’d be as effective as all the other third world nations.
While warriors act on orders because they are given, we fight and are willing to risk all for each other even if we’ve never met.
What other nation(s) have any significant deep water rescue/recovery assets/capability? Yeah, thought so, maybe an ally or two, but no one else. Souls on board are reason enough.
Some people... Makes me sick!
These are fallen HEROES!
Why should they just leave them there????
If they can recover ANY vessel or aircraft lost at sea, why YES, they should do so! Especially with possible dead aboard.
Sometimes some people here are cynical bassstards.
I spent 22 years in the military. Not nice to know some so-called conservatives would say, “Nah, leave ‘em there, not worth it.”
BTTT
Personal I could give a rat’s a$$ less how much it cost to recover the aircraft and the remains of my Shipmates(I beat its much less than it cost to house all these illegals on border). I will agree with some of you that there was something onboard of great value as normally the NAVY would have just left the aircraft down there.
One of the worst days in my NAVAL Career was the day one of my friend;s was killed. He was systems operator on a SH-60 aircraft went down off the coast of Japan in 1993. We searched for 3 full days and at the end of the 3rd day, we departed the area to continue our deployment turning over the recovery to the JNs. They did locate the SH-60 at a depths of 12,000 to 14,000 feet a few weeks later.
we had a service once we got back 4 months later. The hardest part was knowing that a Husband and a Father was never going to come back home to his family and his remains dwell forever in the Kingdom oF Neptune.
Our Sailors.
Thank you.
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