Sounds like the handoff was the weakest link. Sure hope there's a plan in
place to keep this from happening down the road.

If I read the news reports correctly, the Coast Guard Herc had been flying
at 800 to 1,000 ft, and had been in regular contact with ATC. It was
just
entering a "military warning area" near San Clemente Island, frequently
used for Naval exercises. The flight had just been instructed by ATC to
contact the Navy controller for the area.

The FAA said that they had not been in contact with the helicopter.

The Navy spokesman said that operations in the area were normally under
"see and avoid", but didn't say if the CG plane had in fact been in
contract with the Navy controller.