The US Navy Fifth Fleet has announced that a navy E-2C Hawkeye aircraft carrying four crew members has crashed into the Arabian Sea.

The crash occurred after the plane experienced mechanical malfunctions, forcing the crew to perform a controlled bail-out, according to the BBC.

Three crew members are confirmed alive and the navy is searching for the fourth.

The US Fifth Fleet said in a statement that the aircraft had crashed into the sea at about 14.00 local time (10.00 GMT) on Wednesday 31 March.

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The plane was returning from operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan when the crash occurred.

A team on the navy’s USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier is investigating the exact reason behind the incident.