A fighter jet and a helicopter operating from the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier crashed into the South China Sea within just 30 minutes of each other on Sunday afternoon, according to the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet.
All five crew members survived the back-to-back incidents. The three personnel aboard the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter were rescued shortly after the crash, while the two aviators from the F/A-18F Super Hornet managed to eject safely before being recovered.
The Navy confirmed that everyone involved is safe and in stable condition.
South China Sea – On October 26, 2025 at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time, a U.S. Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73 went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations
U.S. Pacific Fleet (@USPacificFleet) October 26, 2025
Officials said investigations are underway to determine the causes of both crashes.
The USS Nimitz is currently making its way back to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state after spending most of the summer deployed in the Middle East. Its mission was part of the U.S. response to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial vessels.
The deployment also marks the carrier’s final mission before it is set to be decommissioned.
Meanwhile, another U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, has faced a string of mishaps over the past few months while operating in the Middle East. In December, the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg accidentally shot down an F/A-18 jet from the Truman.
A few months later, in April, another F/A-18 slipped off the carrier’s hangar deck and plunged into the Red Sea. Then in May, a similar fighter jet overshot the deck during landing, failing to catch the arresting cables and forcing both pilots to eject.
Fortunately, no lives were lost in any of these incidents. Investigations into the causes of the accidents are still ongoing.
