Marines Airlift Stranded Seahawk From Sierra Nevada
A Marine Corps CH-53K recovered a Navy MH-60S Seahawk from a 10,000-foot mountainside landing site in California.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Emergency Response
A Marine Corps CH-53K King Stallion airlifted a Navy MH-60S Seahawk off a mountainside in California's Sierra Nevada after the helicopter made a hard landing at 10,000 feet and could not take off. The helicopter was not damaged and was later carried on a 70-foot long-line to Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.
Why it matters
The remote, high-altitude site made it very hard to bring in people and equipment, including the gear needed to drain fuel and lighten the aircraft. The King Stallion was the only aircraft able to carry out the recovery given the power required and the tight terrain around the site.
The MH-60S weighs nearly 16,000 pounds and was lifted by its built-in lift points using a 70-foot long-line that was tested to 20,000 pounds at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. Only the main and tail rotor blades were removed before the lift, and the source does not detail any further incident metrics.
The players
Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1
The Marine Corps squadron whose CH-53K King Stallion carried out the airlift of the stranded helicopter.
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31
The Navy squadron to which the recovered MH-60S Seahawk belongs.
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division
The Navy research and engineering organization whose Cargo Lab and Structures Lab designed the special rigging setup for the lift.
The details
The CH-53K from Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 lifted the MH-60S, which belongs to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31, by its built-in lift points rather than the main rotor head. Engineers from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Cargo Lab and Structures Lab designed the rigging, and the helicopter was delivered to China Lake airfield in late September.
Timeline
September 2021: VMX-1 CH-53Ks recovered a downed MH-60S from a 12,000-foot ridge on Mount Hogue.
July: Navy tested one CH-53K lifting another to prepare for recovery missions.
Late September: The CH-53K carried the Seahawk to China Lake airfield.
Seasonal Patterns
This recovery repeats a September 2021 mission in which the same squadron lifted a downed MH-60S from a 12,000-foot ridge on Mount Hogue in California's White Mountains. The two operations show the same squadron using heavy-lift helicopters for high-altitude aircraft recoveries.
This story offers no evacuation routes, driving warnings, or aid resources for residents, since the operation was a military aircraft recovery in a remote area. Readers in California seeking public safety information should consult official state emergency management channels.
The takeaway
Heavy-lift helicopters can now recover aircraft from terrain that is too steep or remote for conventional rigging. The approach relies on built-in lift points and specially tested long-lines rather than standard hooks.
Further reading
For more on similar operations, see Emergency Response coverage across California.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Defence Blog.
