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U.S. Military News

Little Creek divers recover crashed US Navy plane off Eastern Shore

Daily Press
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Barges, carrying what is left of a crashed Navy E2-D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft, makes its way to a NASA facility on Wallops Island on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. The plane crashed last month killing one crew member with two crew rescued. The plane was based out of Norfolk.

Barges, carrying what is left of a crashed Navy E2-D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft, makes its way to a NASA facility on Wallops Island on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. The plane crashed last month killing one crew member with two crew rescued. The plane was based out of Norfolk. (Patrick Henderickson/AP)

Navy divers from Little Creek have recovered the E-2D Hawkeye that crashed near Wallops Island and Chincoteague on March 30.

The crash killed one of the three sailors on the plane, Lt. Hyrum Hanlon, of Airborne Command and Control Squadron VAW-120. The two others were rescued by Maryland State Police, who found them injured and on top of the partly-submerged wreck.

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To recover the plane, the Navy called on divers from Little Creek’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2, which specializes in salvage and recovery of underwater objects.

The Navy divers cut the aircraft into sections and then moved each section into a sling, to be lifted by a crane. Barges took the sections away from the area.

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MDSU 2 divers also surveyed the site and surrounding area to identify and recover debris.

The crash remains under investigation.

“We really appreciate the support from MDSU 2 and from the numerous local and state officials who assisted with recovery operations,” said Cmdr. Martin Fentress Jr., commanding officer of VAW-120.

Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com

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