A US Navy fighter jet and a helicopter operating from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz both crashed into the South China Sea on Sunday, just 30 minutes apart, AP reported.
All five crew members involved were rescued safely. The three crew of the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter were pulled from the water and the two aviators of the F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet ejected safely. The Pacific Fleet confirmed that all five are “safe and in stable condition.” The causes of the crashes are under investigation.
The US Navy said in a statement that the crashes were unrelated and took place during normal operations from the USS Nimitz. “All crew members were safely rescued, and the USS Nimitz Strike Group remains fully mission-capable,” the Navy added.
A full investigation has been launched. Early reports indicate there was no enemy involvement, and the aircraft went down due to separate technical or operational problems. Naval safety teams are now examining the wreckage to find out the exact causes.
The USS Nimitz, currently returning to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state, had been deployed to the Middle East for most of the summer as part of the US response to attacks on commercial shipping by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. This is the carrier’s final deployment before decommissioning.
USS Nimitz in a tense region
The USS Nimitz, one of the Navy’s most advanced and longest-serving carriers, is operating in the South China Sea, an area known for military activity and regional tensions. US naval forces often conduct missions there to ensure free navigation in international waters.
The Navy has faced several recent mishaps involving another aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, also deployed in the Middle East. In December, the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 from the Truman. In April, an F/A-18 slid off the Truman’s hangar deck into the Red Sea. Then, in May, another fighter jet went overboard after failing to catch the arresting cables during landing, forcing both pilots to eject. No sailors were killed in these incidents, and investigations are ongoing.