Robert Moore wrote:

(MarkyGA) wrote

Point well taken. Unfortunately, my dork 16 year-old nephew changed my
settings. Sorry. (BTW, I use to detract spammers.)

Back to the topic... As a naval aviator, what's your take on the crash?

ATC is not involved in low level over water searches. They MAY not have
known that the helicopters were in the area and their visual focus was on
the water surface looking for the missing boater.

No former Naval Aviator worries the least bit about SPAM.

If I read the news reports correctly, the Coast Guard Herc had been flying
at 800 to 1,000 ft, and had been in regular contact with ATC. It was just
entering a "military warning area" near San Clemente Island, frequently
used for Naval exercises. The flight had just been instructed by ATC to
contact the Navy controller for the area.

The FAA said that they had not been in contact with the helicopter.

The Navy spokesman said that operations in the area were normally under
"see and avoid", but didn't say if the CG plane had in fact been in
contract with the Navy controller.