San Francisco, Sep 2 (IANS): Five US Navy sailors aboard aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln were injured when a helicopter crashed off the coast of San Diego, California, earlier this week, authorities said.

An MH-60S helicopter embarked aboard the aircraft carrier crashed into the sea while conducting routine flight operations approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego on Tuesday, reports xinhua news agency.

"One crew member has been rescued and search efforts continue for the other crewmembers" of the helicopter, the US Navy's 3rd Fleet said in a statement on Wednesday.

The aircraft, from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8, was operating on deck before crashing into the sea.

Five sailors aboard the aircraft carrier suffered injuries in the accident and are in stable condition, the US Navy tweeted Wednesday.

Two of the five injured sailors were transported ashore for treatment, while three of them had minimal injuries and remain aboard the ship, according to the tweet.

Officials said that an investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

USS Abraham Lincoln is the fifth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the Navy and a member of the US Pacific Fleet.

The accident occurred just 12 days after Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt took over command of USS Abraham Lincoln, becoming the first woman to lead a nuclear carrier in US Navy history.