Two aircraft from the USS Nimitz, a prominent U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, met with accidents in the South China Sea over the weekend. The incidents, which occurred within a half-hour of each other, involved a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet. Fortunately, all five crew members from both aircraft were rescued unharmed.
The Sea Hawk helicopter was on a routine operation when it crashed into the sea around 2:45 p.m. on Sunday. The Super Hornet fighter jet met a similar fate just 30 minutes later. The Pacific Fleet of the U.S. Navy confirmed that both aircraft were operating from the USS Nimitz when the accidents occurred.
The helicopter had three crew members onboard, all of whom were successfully rescued. Similarly, the two airmen operating the Super Hornet managed to eject from the aircraft and were also safely recovered. The Pacific Fleet confirmed that all five individuals are safe and in stable condition.
The cause of the accidents remains unknown. While addressing the media onboard Air Force One on Monday, President Trump suggested that “bad fuel” might have been a factor. He also clarified that no foul play was suspected and assured that the Navy had nothing to hide.
The USS Nimitz has been deployed in the Middle East over the summer to deter Houthi terrorists in Yemen, who have been disrupting shipping lanes during the Israel-Hamas conflict. The aircraft carrier is currently en route to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington. It is expected to be decommissioned upon arrival, marking the end of over 50 years of service since its launch in 1972.
This incident adds to a series of mishaps involving U.S. aircraft carriers stationed overseas in the past year. In December, an F/A-18 from the USS Truman was accidentally shot down due to friendly fire from a nearby missile cruiser. In April and May, two more F/A-18s from the same carrier fell into the Red Sea and missed the Truman’s stopping cables, respectively. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported in these incidents.