Navy Loses 2 Aircraft From USS Nimitz Within 30 Minutes

A U.S. Navy fighter jet and helicopter operating from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other on Sunday afternoon, according to the Navy’s Pacific Fleet.

The fleet confirmed that all five service members involved survived. The three crew members aboard the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter were rescued, and the two aviators from the F/A-18F Super Hornet safely ejected and were recovered. All five are reported to be in stable condition.

Investigations are underway to determine the causes of both crashes.

The USS Nimitz is currently returning to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington State after spending much of the summer deployed to the Middle East. The carrier had been part of the U.S. response to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on international shipping lanes. This marks the ship’s final deployment before its planned decommissioning.

The incidents come after a string of recent mishaps involving another carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman. Last December, a guided-missile cruiser, the USS Gettysburg, accidentally shot down an F/A-18 jet from the Truman. In April, another F/A-18 slid off the Truman’s hangar deck into the Red Sea, and in May, a separate jet went overboard after missing the arresting cables during landing. In each case, the pilots survived, and no sailors were killed.

The Navy has yet to release the results of investigations into those earlier accidents.

President Trump has expressed continued support for America’s naval forces and their missions abroad as the U.S. maintains its presence in key global regions.

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