PUBLISHED ONOctober 27, 2025 3:45 AMBYSean LerA F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet and MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter based off the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz crashed within 30 minutes of each other in separate incidents in the South China Sea on Sunday (Oct 26) afternoon, the US Navy's Pacific Fleet said.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday (Oct 27), the fleet said that the first incident involving a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter took place at around 2.45pm.
The second incident involving an F/A-18F Super Hornet fight jet took place at 3.15pm. Both crew members ejected safely.
The fleet said that all three crew members of the naval helicopter and two crew members of the fighter jet were safely recovered and "are safe and in stable condition".
"The cause of both incidents is currently under investigation," added the fleet.
Nimitz, which deployed on March 26, operated in the Middle East for most of the summer, as part of the US' response against attacks by Houthis on ships.
She is the oldest American aircraft carrier in active service and is expected to be decommissioned in 2026.