A US Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet crashed in the South China Sea in two separate incidents on Sunday, as announced by the US Pacific Fleet. The helicopter, which was conducting a “routine operation” from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, fell into the sea, with all three crew members rescued safely.
Approximately half an hour later, the F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet, also deployed from the USS Nimitz, crashed in the same area. Both crew members managed to eject from the aircraft and were rescued safely.
“All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition,” stated the US Pacific Fleet announcement, adding that the causes of both accidents are under investigation.
The loss of a fighter aircraft and a helicopter in the South China Sea occurred while US President Donald Trump is on tour in Asia, his first since returning to the White House.
Earlier this year, two F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters fell from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea, eight days apart: one during landing procedures and the other during maneuvering operations on the deck.
