U.S. Navy Helicopter and Fighter Jet Crash in South China Sea; All Crew Members Rescued

A U.S. Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet, both assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), went down in separate incidents on October 26, 2025, while conducting routine operations.

According to the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the MH-60R Sea Hawk from the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73 crashed at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time in the South China Sea. Search and rescue teams from Carrier Strike Group 11 swiftly recovered all three crew members.

Roughly 30 minutes later, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet belonging to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 also went down during operations from the Nimitz. Both aviators successfully ejected and were rescued by nearby recovery units.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet confirmed that all personnel involved are safe and in stable condition. The causes of both incidents remain under investigation.