U.S. military helicopter crashes in Mediterranean

GAETA, Italy (CNN) -- A helicopter with a three-person crew from a U.S. Navy ship crashed Tuesday in the Mediterranean Sea near Greece, the U.S. Sixth Fleet said.

The chopper, a SH-60B Seahawk, went down Tuesday morning some 80 nautical miles off the Greek west coast while it was on a routine flight.

The helicopter was based on the USS Hayler. The Hayler and USS Ross were conducting a search and rescue operation for the three crew members in that region off Greece.

The Hayler lost radar contact and communications with the helicopter while it was on its flight.

The home port of the U.S. Sixth Fleet is in central Italy's Gaeta. The helicopter was part of Helicopter Squadron Light 46, which is based in Mayport, Florida.