In a dramatic turn of events over the South China Sea, a US Navy fighter jet and a helicopter operating from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz crashed within half an hour of each other on Sunday, the US Pacific Fleet confirmed.
The MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter went down first, followed shortly by an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet. Rescue teams swiftly pulled out all five personnel, three from the chopper and two aviators from the jet, who ejected safely and were later declared “stable and out of danger.”
While the Navy has launched an investigation into the twin crashes, no official cause has been confirmed. However, speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo, former President Donald Trump suggested the possibility of “bad fuel” being a factor, adding that the military had “nothing to hide.”
The USS Nimitz, one of America’s most iconic aircraft carriers, is currently on its final deployment before decommissioning. It had recently returned from the Middle East, where it participated in operations linked to US responses against Yemeni Houthi a
