Bell UH-1H crash near between Saint Thomas and Saint Croix, US Virgin Islands

The helicopter ditched at sea between Saint Thomas and Saint Croix and was destroyed. A passing airline pilot saw it go down and passed the position on 121.5, and a Customs Cessna 404 flying from Isla Grande to Martinique orbited the site and alerted San Juan air traffic control and Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. The crew and passengers reached the surface and were picked up by a Navy helicopter. Nobody was killed. Neither the number on board nor any injuries were recorded. Coordinates are approximate to the middle of the channel.