A powerful helicopter of the U.S. Navy has recently been recovered using CH-53K King Stallion helicopter. The U.S. Marine Corps’ CH-53K King Stallion recovered a downed MH-60S Seahawk from the Sierra Nevada mountains. The nearly 16,000-pound aircraft was recovered by a CH-53K from Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) 1 using a “long-line” with a U.S. Marine Corps Helicopter Sling Load rigging and delivered to an airfield at Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, California. Because the MH-60S was recovered without incident or damage it will be able to fly again without extensive maintenance.Helicopter recovery utilized specialized rigging configurationThe U.S. Marine revealed that the recovery utilized a specialized rigging configuration developed with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Cargo Lab and Maritime Industrial Base and NAWCAD Structures Lab.“The hardest part of this recovery wasn’t necessarily lifting the H-60. It was figuring out how to do it safely without causing any additional damage,” said Major Lee Henderson, VMX-1 pilot and lead planner.“We integrated established MH-60S crane-lifting procedures and the hoist sling with a 70-foot long-line to ensure proper load distribution and obstacle clearance.”Because the long-line used in the recovery is longer than a standard U.S. Marine Corps equipment sling line used across the military in sling load operations, the recovery operation presented an opportunity to certify the CH-53K in its use.MH-60S couldn’t takeoff due to angle of terrainThe MH-60S, which belongs to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 31, landed hard at an elevation of 10,000 feet but had no damage. It was unable to take off because of the angle of the terrain. The remote location and elevation added difficulty getting personnel and equipment to the site – meaning it would be extremely difficult to defuel the helicopter to reduce weight, according to a press release.The King Stallion is the only aircraft capable of performing the recovery of the MH-60S due to the power requirement and restrictive terrain. The goal of the recovery operation was to keep the MH-60S in as “whole” a condition as possible to avoid damage to any part of it. Experts from the Cargo and Structures Lab were brought in to develop the rigging procedures; coordinate testing and certification of the long-line; perform long-line testing and data processing for the final report; and be on-site during recovery, as per the release.The H-60 Fleet Support Team at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, was also consulted to provide guidance on proper configuration of the MH-60S for lifting and also to assist with weight reduction recommendations.Henderson also highlighted that the CH-53K’s available power, precision flight-control system, and ability to calculate instantaneous power available using real-time engine performance and environmental conditions significantly reduced risk during this complex recovery and enabled precise, efficient execution.The mission demonstrated the effectiveness of an integrated Navy and Marine Corps in an austere environment.