April 30, 2010 - Three Coast Guard aviators are safe after a Coast Guard helicopter from Air Station Humboldt Bay crashed at Arcata Airport at 10:55 a.m., Thursday. The helicopter had three crewmembers aboard when it went down during a training mission.

The crewmembers were uninjured. The MH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew was conducting a training mission at the time of the incident. All three aviators walked away from the incident and were examined by emergency medical personnel at the air station. None of the crew sustained serious injuries.

Also a unique feature of the Dolphin is its computerized flight management system, which integrates state-of-the-art communications and navigation equipment. This system provides automatic flight control. At the pilot's direction, the system will bring the aircraft to a stable hover 50 feet (15 m) above a selected object. This is an important safety feature in darkness or inclement weather. Selected search patterns can be flown automatically, freeing the pilot and copilot to concentrate on sighting & searching the object.

A distinctive feature of the HH-65 is its tail rotor. Its 11 blades spin inside a circular housing at the base of the helicopter's tail fin. Certified for single-pilot instrument flight rules (IFR) operation, the HH-65A was the first helicopter certified with a four-axis autopilot, allowing for hands-off hover over a pre-determined location.