US Navy MH-60S helicopter.
US Navy helicopter sends emergency signal, vanishes from radar near Yanbu
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
Flight tracking monitors recorded an emergency situation unfolding over the Red Sea on Monday, where a US Navy MH-60S helicopter broadcast an emergency transponder code before disappearing from radar screens off the coast of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.
According to live tracking data provided by Flightradar24, the multi-mission naval helicopter broadcast squawk code 7700 -the universal aviation signal designating a general emergency- while operating over Red Sea transit lanes near Yanbu.
Flight data graphs associated with the aircraft's transponder feed indicated a sudden loss of speed shortly after the emergency code was activated.
Moments after the emergency transponder signal and speed drop were recorded, the aircraft's telemetry signal ceased, and it disappeared from public radar tracking services.
As of publication, neither the US Navy nor US Central Command (CENTCOM) has released an official statement or operational update regarding the incident, the condition of the aircraft, or the status of any personnel on board.
This is a developing story.
