WEB DESK: Five U.S. Navy personnel were safely rescued after two separate aircraft accidents occurred roughly 30 minutes apart in the South China Sea on Sunday afternoon, according to the Navy’s Pacific Fleet.
The first incident involved an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter from the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73, which crashed around 2:45 p.m. local time. The squadron operates out of Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego. Search-and-rescue units were dispatched immediately, and all three crew members aboard were safely recovered, the fleet confirmed.
Roughly half an hour later, at about 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 went down. Both pilots ejected from the aircraft and were rescued soon after. The squadron is based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California’s Central Valley.
The Navy said both aircraft were engaged in routine operations from the USS Nimitz when the incidents took place. All five personnel are in stable condition. The cause of the crashes remains under investigation, and the Navy has yet to release further details.
The twin mishaps occurred as President Donald Trump was visiting Southeast Asia on a three-nation tour that included stops in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, with a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later in the week. It was not immediately known whether the flights were connected in any way to the president’s regional visit.