U.S. News: Two U.S. Navy Aircraft Crash Into South China Sea, Crews Rescued

“KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- A U.S. military helicopter and a jet fighter from the same aircraft carrier crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other on Sunday.

 

All five crew members were rescued and are in stable condition, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said on X. Both aircraft had taken off from the USS Nimitz, America's oldest aircraft carrier that is returning to its home base on the U.S. West Coast for decommissioning scheduled for next year.

 

The cause of the crashes is under investigation, the fleet said.

 

The USS Nimitz had been deployed in the Middle East as part of the Pentagon's response to attacks by Yemen-based Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea.

 

Responding to questions from reporters on Air Force One en route from Malaysia to Japan on Monday, President Trump said the back-to-back crashes were "very unusual."

 

"They think it might be bad fuel. We're gonna find out. Nothing to hide, sir," Trump said.

 

The loss of the two aircraft follows a series of mishaps over the past year on another aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, during its deployment to the Middle East.

 

The Pacific Fleet said an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter went down in the South China Sea around 2:45 p.m. local time on Sunday while conducting what it said were routine operations. Thirty minutes later, an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter crashed into the same waters, the fleet said. The jet's two crew members ejected before the aircraft went down and, like the helicopter crew, were safely recovered by the carrier's search and rescue teams.

 

The South China Sea is one of the world's most contested waterways, where Beijing's claims for territorial waters clash with those of several Southeast Asian nations. The U.S. military has worked with allies in the region to preserve freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which is a thoroughfare for about one-third of global maritime trade.” [1]

 

1. U.S. News: Two U.S. Navy Aircraft Crash Into South China Sea, Crews Rescued. Steinhauser, Gabriele.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 28 Oct 2025: A3.