A US Navy fighter jet and a helicopter operating from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea within half an hour of each other on Sunday afternoon.
The Navy confirmed that all five crew members survived. Three personnel aboard the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter were rescued, while the two aviators flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet ejected and were safely recovered. Officials said all five are in stable condition.
The causes of the crashes remain under investigation.
The USS Nimitz is currently returning to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state after spending much of the summer in the Middle East. The carrier had been deployed as part of the US response to attacks on commercial shipping by Yemen’s Houthi militants. This voyage marks the Nimitz’s final deployment before decommissioning.
The incident comes after a string of mishaps involving another US carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, during its Middle East deployment. In December, the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 jet from the Truman. In April, another F/A-18 slipped off the Truman’s hangar deck and plunged into the Red Sea. The following month, a fighter jet overshot its landing on the carrier, failed to catch the arresting cables, and went overboard, forcing its two pilots to eject.
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