US Navy aircraft crash South China Sea: Fighter jet and helicopter crash within 30 minutes of each other off aircraft carrier USS Nimitz
A US fighter jet and a helicopter crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other on Sunday.
The F/A-18F Super Hornet and MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, both based off the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, went down in separate incidents while “conducting routine operations”, said the US navy’s Pacific Fleet. It added: “All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition. The cause of both incidents is currently under investigation”.
The Seahawk helicopter was the first to crash at around 2.45pm local time, and its three crew members were rescued, according to the statement. Half an hour later, the two crew members of the Super Hornet ejected before the aircraft crashed. Both were also recovered safely.
The USS Nimitz is returning to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state having been deployed to the Middle East for most of the summer as part of the US response to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial shipping.
The 50-year-old carrier, the US navy’s oldest in service, is on its final deployment before decommissioning. Donald Trump described the two incidents as “very unusual”, speculating that they could have been caused by a fuel issue.
“They think it might be bad fuel,” the US president told reporters on Air Force One. “We’re gonna find out. Nothing to hide, sir.”