Salvage Team to Search for U.S. Navy C-2A Aircraft

The U.S. Navy has announced that it will deploy a team of deep water salvage experts to search for the C-2A Greyhound aircraft that crashed in the Philippine Sea on the way to USS Ronald Reagan on November 22. 

While the aircraft’s last position on the surface of the water is known, the depth of water in that area exceeds 16,000 feet, beyond the capabilities of current salvage assets in the area. 

In the coming days, a team of deep water salvage experts led by U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) will deploy from Washington D.C. The salvage team will embark a U.S. Navy-contracted salvage vessel in Japan and proceed to the crash site. Once on station, they will search for the aircraft’s emergency relocation pinger with a U.S. Navy-owned towed pinger locator (TPL-25) system.

If the search is successful, additional deep water salvage assets will deploy to survey and recover the aircraft. Every effort will be made to recover the fallen Sailors, said the U.S. Navy in a statement. 

Assigned to Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC 30) forward deployed to Japan, the C-2A aircraft was carrying 11 crew and passengers when it crashed. Eight people were recovered immediately by U.S. Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC 12). For the next three days, USS Ronald Reagan led combined search and rescue for three Sailors with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, covering nearly 1,000 square nautical miles before ending the search. 

Late last month, the U.S. Navy released the names of the three Sailors lost: Lt. Steven Combs, Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Matthew Chialastri and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso. 

An investigation is in progress.