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A U.S. Navy helicopter and a fighter jet crashed in separate incidents less than an hour apart during routine operations over the South China Sea on Sunday, with all five crew members safely rescued, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said.
At approximately 2:45 p.m. local time, an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
All three crew members were safely recovered by search-and-rescue teams deployed by the carrier, the Pacific Fleet said.
About 30 minutes later, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet from the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 also crashed while conducting routine operations from the Nimitz.
Both crew members successfully ejected and were rescued. All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition, according to the Pacific Fleet.
The Navy said investigations have been launched into the causes of both crashes. No additional details on the carrier’s location or the suspected causes have been released due to operational security.
The F/A-18 is at least the fourth Super Hornet the Navy has lost this year. Two were lost in the Red Sea earlier this year; one fell overboard from an aircraft carrier, and another experienced a landing system issue. Another Super Hornet crashed off Virginia during a training flight in August.
The South China Sea remains one of the world’s most strategic waterways, claimed by several nations, including China, which asserts ownership over nearly all of it despite a 2016 international court ruling rejecting its claims.
The U.S. maintains a steady presence in the area to support freedom of navigation and its regional allies.
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