South China Sea mishaps: U.S. Navy loses two advanced aircraft in half-hour

By willowt // 2025-10-28

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A U.S. Navy MH-60R helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed in the South China Sea on October 26 within 30 minutes of each other.
All five personnel involved—three from the helicopter and two from the fighter jet—were rescued safely and are in stable condition.
Both aircraft were operating from the USS Nimitz, the Navy's oldest active aircraft carrier, which is concluding its final deployment.
The incidents occurred amid heightened tensions with China over its territorial claims and coercive actions in the South China Sea.
The crashes are under investigation, with preliminary speculation from officials ruling out foul play.

In a dramatic half-hour over the contested waters of the South China Sea, the U.S. Navy lost two advanced aircraft in separate, non-combat incidents, underscoring the inherent risks of carrier operations amid escalating regional tensions. On the afternoon of October 26, an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet, both launched from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, crashed into the sea. In a testament to swift search and rescue procedures, all five personnel involved were recovered alive and are in stable condition, though the twin losses represent a significant operational setback.

A chronology of crises

The sequence of events began at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time. According to statements from the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet, the MH-60R Sea Hawk, assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73, went down while conducting routine operations. Just thirty minutes later, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 also crashed into the sea. The close timing of the incidents, while officially classified as separate, prompted immediate investigations to determine the root causes. The Navy confirmed that all crew members from both aircraft were successfully retrieved.

The Nimitz and a pattern of mishaps

The incidents mark a difficult final chapter for the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the Navy’s oldest active aircraft carrier. The Nimitz is currently returning to its home port in Washington state after a deployment that saw it operate in the Middle East as part of the U.S. response to Houthi rebel attacks on commercial shipping. This deployment is its last before the vessel is decommissioned. The crashes aboard the Nimitz follow a troubling pattern of recent naval aviation mishaps, particularly involving aircraft carriers deployed to high-tension regions. Another carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, suffered a series of costly incidents in the Red Sea over the past year, including multiple F/A-18 losses due to landing and deck-handling failures.

Strategic backdrop: A tense theater

The twin crashes occurred in one of the world's most strategically vital and politically volatile regions. The South China Sea is a focal point of U.S.-China competition, with Beijing asserting sweeping—and internationally disputed—territorial claims. In the weeks leading up to the incidents, U.S. officials had publicly condemned China’s “increasingly coercive actions” toward its neighbors, particularly the Philippines. The presence of a U.S. carrier strike group in these waters is a core element of American policy to ensure freedom of navigation and counter what it views as destabilizing behavior by China. This context elevates the operational readiness of forward-deployed assets from a matter of training to a component of national deterrence strategy.

The investigation and official response

The Navy has launched standard investigations into both crashes, which will examine a range of potential factors, including:

Mechanical failure or maintenance issues
Human error
Environmental conditions and weather
Fuel quality and other logistical concerns

While no official cause has been determined, President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters, offered a preliminary theory that “bad fuel” could have been a factor. He explicitly ruled out foul play, stating there was “nothing to hide.” The swift recovery of all personnel will aid investigators by providing firsthand accounts from the aircrews involved.

An enduring challenge

The loss of two multimillion-dollar aircraft in a single day, even without casualties, serves as a stark reminder of the extreme demands placed on the U.S. Navy’s fleet and personnel. Operating advanced fighter jets and helicopters from the confined, moving deck of an aircraft carrier remains one of the most complex and hazardous military endeavors. As the service grapples with an aging carrier fleet and the persistent challenge of maintaining readiness amid global commitments, incidents like those aboard the USS Nimitz highlight the fine line between projecting power and confronting peril. The safe return of all five crew members provides a positive conclusion to a dangerous day, but the investigations to come will be critical for preventing a recurrence in an increasingly contested Pacific. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com CTGN.com APNews.com