Twin US Navy Aircraft Crashes in South China Sea: All Five Crew Members Safely Rescued

The causes of the two separate aircraft incidents were under investigation by naval authorities.

Washington:

A F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz both crashed into the South China Sea within half an hour of each other on Sunday afternoon, according to an official statement from the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet.

All three crew members aboard the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter were successfully rescued following the incident. The two aviators piloting the F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet safely ejected from their aircraft and were subsequently recovered. The Pacific Fleet confirmed that all five military personnel "are safe and in stable condition."

Naval officials indicated that investigations into the causes of both crashes have been initiated, though no preliminary findings have been released.

The USS Nimitz was conducting routine operations in the South China Sea when the incidents occurred on October 26, 2025, with the helicopter crash happening at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time. The helicopter belonged to the "Battle Cats" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73.

The USS Nimitz is currently on its journey back to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state. The carrier had been deployed to the Middle East region for most of the summer as part of the United States' response to attacks on commercial shipping vessels by Yemen's Houthi rebels. This deployment marks the final mission for the Nimitz before its scheduled decommissioning.

These incidents follow a series of mishaps involving another aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, which has experienced multiple accidents while deployed in Middle Eastern waters in recent months.

In December, a serious friendly fire incident occurred when the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 jet that had launched from the Truman.

Further incidents followed in April when an F/A-18 fighter jet accidentally slipped from the Truman's hangar deck and fell into the Red Sea.

Another accident happened in May involving an F/A fighter jet that went overboard while attempting to land on the carrier in the Red Sea. The aircraft apparently failed to catch the steel cables designed to stop landing planes, forcing both pilots to eject.

Fortunately, no sailors lost their lives in any of these incidents. The official investigations into these accidents remain ongoing, with results yet to be released by naval authorities.