An F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) crashed in the South China Sea on Sunday (26) in two separate incidents, USNI News reported.
According to a statement from the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the first accident occurred around 2:45 p.m. local time when an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from the “Battle Cats” squadron (HSM-73) went down while conducting routine operations from the USS Nimitz.
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“Search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11 safely recovered all three crew members,” the official statement said.
About 30 minutes later, at 3:15 p.m., a two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet belonging to the “Fighting Redcocks” squadron (VFA-22) also crashed into the waters of the South China Sea while operating from the same carrier.
“Both crew members successfully ejected and were also safely recovered by search and rescue teams assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11,” the statement added.
All five service members involved are safe and in stable condition. The causes of both accidents are under investigation.
The USS Nimitz is currently in the final phase of its last deployment before returning to the U.S. West Coast.
The carrier strike group, which departed on March 26, operated in the Middle East over the summer as part of the U.S. response to Houthi attacks on commercial vessels. The Nimitz entered the South China Sea on October 17.
Source: USNI News. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
