A U.S. Navy helicopter declared an emergency Monday evening while operating near Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, before disappearing from publicly available flight-tracking data, leaving the aircraft's status and the cause of the emergency unknown.

The Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk, operating under the call sign VVHR512, declared the emergency at approximately 5:20 p.m. ET while flying near Yanbu on Saudi Arabia's western coast, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24.

At the time of the emergency declaration, the helicopter was shown at an altitude of roughly 475 feet. Its displayed altitude subsequently dropped to zero before the aircraft disappeared from the tracking system.

The U.S. Navy has not publicly confirmed whether the helicopter experienced a crash, mechanical problem or another emergency, and officials have not announced the status of the crew or aircraft.

Some social media accounts have circulated reports suggesting the helicopter may have crashed, but those claims have not been independently confirmed. A military aircraft can also disappear from civilian flight-tracking services because of limited coverage or because its transponder is turned off.

The MH-60R Seahawk is a naval multi-mission helicopter designed to operate from ships and shore installations. According to the Navy, the aircraft is used for missions including anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and command and control.