Lede: Two U.S. Navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz crashed in the South China Sea on Sunday, with all five crew members rescued in stable condition.
According to the U.S. Pacific Fleet, an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 crashed around 2:54 p.m. local time while conducting routine operations. Search-and-rescue teams from Carrier Strike Group 11 quickly initiated recovery efforts, retrieving all three crew members safely from the water. They were transported back to the Nimitz for medical evaluation and are reported to be stable.
Approximately 30 minutes later, an F/A-18F Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron 22 also went down during flight operations. The two crew members successfully ejected before the aircraft impacted the water and were subsequently recovered. Both aviators are in stable condition.
The U.S. Pacific Fleet confirmed that all five service members are safe and accounted for. The causes of these incidents remain under investigation, with no details released regarding weather conditions, mechanical issues, or the nature of the missions.
Currently, operations aboard the USS Nimitz continue as the carrier remains deployed in the Indo-Pacific region. This deployment marks the final mission for the Nimitz, which has been in service since 1975 and has played a significant role in various military operations.
The incidents coincided with President Donald Trump's visit to Asia, as he spent Sunday night in Malaysia and was set to depart for Japan on Monday.