A F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet and a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier both crashed into the South China Sea Sunday afternoon in separate aircraft mishaps. A spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet confirmed the two crashes, saying in a statement that the mishaps happened approximately half an hour apart.

All five Navy personnel involved in the two mishaps were safely recovered and described as being in stable condition. The U.S. Naval Institute first reported on the crashes. 

Both the Super Hornet and the Sea Hawk were conducting “routine operations” after taking off from the USS Nimitz on Sunday afternoon. At approximately 2:45 p.m. local time, a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter with Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73 went down in the waters. Search and rescue teams were able to reach the three crew members who were safely pulled out of the water.

Then, 30 minutes later, a two-seater F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 also suffered a mishap. Both crewmembers were able to safely eject, while the Super Hornet crashed into the sea. The Navy did not say how close the two incidents were. 

“The cause of both incidents is currently under investigation,” the spokesperson said. U.S. Pacific Fleet did not provide any additional details on the nature of each crash.

The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, including Carrier Air Wing 12 which both aircraft are a part of, is currently operating in the South China Sea, after having previously been deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during the summer as part of a wider American military buildup. It arrived in the South China Sea earlier this month. 

Incidents involving Navy F/A-18s are rare though not uncommon. In the summer of 2022, heavy weather blew a F/A-18 off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman as it sailed through the Mediterranean Sea. The plane was eventually recovered a month later. In December 2024, the Navy accidentally shot down one of its own Super Hornets during combat operations in the Red Sea. One crewmember suffered minor injuries and both were able to eject safely. 

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