Three sailors still missing
The search for three missing sailors who went down in a C-2A Greyhound earlier this week was called off by the Navy yesterday after the US and it’s allies searched over 1100 square miles of the Philippine Sea.
The aircraft was ferrying cargo and personnel from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni to the Ronald Reagan when it went down. Eight other sailors were rescued in the first moments after the crash. From Stars & Stripes;
The Navy on Saturday identified the three sailors lost in the crash on Wednesday as follows: Lt. Steven Combs [from Florida]; Seaman Matthew Chialastri [From Louisiana], an aviation boatswain’s mate; and Seaman Apprentice Bryan Grosso [From Florida], an aviation ordnanceman. Combs was embarked aboard the USS Ronald Reagan; Chialastri and Grosso were assigned to the Ronald Reagan.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
Category: Navy
I was afraid this would be the outcome. High wing aircraft are notoriously difficult to both ditch and subsequently escape from. It’s a testament to the aircrew’s skills that any were rescued at all.
Fair winds and following seas.
I, too, was hoping that this wouldn’t end this way.
And your comment re: ditching is spot on.
Sad thing to happen on the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Godspeed to the Sailors as their bodies are committed to the deep.
God Bless the families and thank you to them for their sacrifice.
The only thing harder than being a GI is loving one…
My condolences to the families. This happens so fast. We had a Huey with Marines coming back from an operation down in the caribbean one Sunday morning when it lost power just before coming in to the flight deck. as soon as it hit the water, the troops jumped out with one Marine forgetting to dump his web gear with a mortar plate attached to it and went straight down. When the UDT came, they found the one Marine under water and two Marines still strapped to their seats and their life vests inflated. We lost three Marines that day. Marines were climbing up fire hoses to the hanger bay that were thrown down to aid in the rescue.
Rest easy, sailors. They all look so young.
On an unrelated note, what is the difference between “embarked” and “assigned”?
Assigned would be the ships company and embarked are “riders” air wing types usually.
They were young, Mason.
Rest in peace, men. May God comfort your families, friends, and professional colleagues.
Rest in peace Sailors. God be with your families now.
Such a sad tragedy, God Bless all of you and your families. May you rest in peace.
Rest in peace, prayers to their families and shipmates.