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Navy Aircraft Crashes in South China Sea, All Crew Safely Rescued
27 Oct, 2025
Summary
- Two U.S. Navy aircraft crashed in separate incidents in the South China Sea
- All five crew members were safely recovered by search and rescue teams
- Incidents occurred while the aircraft were conducting routine operations from the USS Nimitz
On September 29, 2025, two U.S. Navy aircraft crashed in the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. The first incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. local time when an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73, went down. All three crew members were safely recovered by search and rescue teams from Carrier Strike Group 11.
About 30 minutes later, an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 22 and based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, also crashed in the waters near the Nimitz. Both crew members ejected and were rescued as well.
The Navy has confirmed that all five personnel involved in the two separate crashes are safe, and the cause of the incidents is now under investigation. The aircraft were conducting routine operations in the South China Sea when the accidents occurred.
