Mechanical Failure Caused Deadly Navy Helicopter Crash

Logistics Specialist 1st Class Ousseinou Kaba (L), from Silver Spring, Md., and Logistics Specialist Seaman Abigail Marshke, from Flint, Mich., attach cargo to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the "Nightdippers" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in the Red Sea, on May 10, 2019. Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Amber Smalley/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

SAN DIEGO—A Navy helicopter crash off Southern California that killed five crewmembers last year was caused by mechanical failure, not pilot error, the military announced Tuesday.

A command investigation completed on April 18 found that a damper hose failed on the MH-60S Seahawk during flight, probably because of unsuspected damage that occurred during maintenance, the Navy said.