Two US Navy aircraft crash off same carrier within 30 minutes of each other
A pair of aircraft assigned to the USS Nimitz went down during routine operations in the South China Sea, with all five crew members recovered by search and rescue teams, the US Navy has said.
The first incident, which happened at around 14:45 local time, involved a US Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, part of the 'Battle Cats' of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73.
A second incident involving an F/A-18F Super Hornet tied to the 'Fighting Redcocks' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 occurred half an hour later.
The Super Hornet crew successfully ejected from the aircraft and were recovered, along with the three crew members from the Sea Hawk helicopter.
"All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition," the US Pacific Fleet said in a statement on X.
An investigation is underway to find the cause of the loss of the two aircraft.
These latest incidents come after the US Navy allegedly lost an F/A-18 Super Hornet at sea in the Red Sea six months ago, while onboard a US aircraft carrier.
There was an arrestment failure when the £49m fighter jet was trying to land on the USS Harry S Truman, and the pilot and the weapons systems officers were forced to eject, CNN said.
Meanwhile, in April, a US Navy F/18E Super Hornet and a tow tractor fell off the USS Harry S Truman's deck in the same region.
The aircraft was under tow in the hangar bay when the movement crew lost control of the plane, and subsequently, the fighter jet and the tow tractor went overboard.
Australia, Kuwait, and the United States use the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
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