Posted:
January 14, 2010
The USNS Henson late last year located the sunken wreckage of an aircraft missing since late October 2009 in the waters off the Netherlands Antilles in the southern Caribbean, Military Sealift Command reported.
The Military Sealift Command oceanographic survey ship was deployed to the region for the U.S. Navy engagement program Oceanographic Southern Partnership Station. The USNS Henson (T-AGS 63) is one of seven oceanographic survey ships operated under a new contract by 3PSC LLC, which took over management of the ship Nov. 23, 2009. All seven ships are manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers.
The Britten-Norman Islander passenger airplane crashed into the Caribbean Sea Oct. 22 near the island of Bonaire. Although all nine passengers escaped, the pilot, Robert Mansell, has been classified as missing after making a controlled crash landing on the water and seeing to the safety of the passengers onboard the plane.
The government of Netherlands Antilles requested help in locating the aircraft and its pilot. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and U.S. 4th Fleet (NAVSO/C4F) directed the Henson to search for the aircraft at its last known coordinates. The Henson Nov. 30 located airplane wreckage at a depth of about 625 feet near those coordinates, MSC reported.
The seven oceanographic survey ships are owned by MSC and operated for the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command by 3PSC LLC. These ships operate worldwide, collecting data that provides much of the U.S. military's information on the ocean environment.
USNS Henson locates aircraft wreckage in Caribbean
The USNS Henson late last year located the sunken wreckage of an aircraft missing since late October 2009 in the waters off the Netherlands Antilles in the southern Caribbean, Military Sealift Command reported.
The Military Sealift Command oceanographic survey ship was deployed to the region for the U.S. Navy engagement program Oceanographic Southern Partnership Station. The USNS Henson (T-AGS 63) is one of seven oceanographic survey ships operated under a new contract by 3PSC LLC, which took over management of the ship Nov. 23, 2009. All seven ships are manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers.
The Britten-Norman Islander passenger airplane crashed into the Caribbean Sea Oct. 22 near the island of Bonaire. Although all nine passengers escaped, the pilot, Robert Mansell, has been classified as missing after making a controlled crash landing on the water and seeing to the safety of the passengers onboard the plane.
The government of Netherlands Antilles requested help in locating the aircraft and its pilot. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and U.S. 4th Fleet (NAVSO/C4F) directed the Henson to search for the aircraft at its last known coordinates. The Henson Nov. 30 located airplane wreckage at a depth of about 625 feet near those coordinates, MSC reported.
The seven oceanographic survey ships are owned by MSC and operated for the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command by 3PSC LLC. These ships operate worldwide, collecting data that provides much of the U.S. military's information on the ocean environment.