U.S. Navy operations have been marred by a series of recent aircraft incidents, with two crashes from the USS Nimitz occurring within 30 minutes in the South China Sea, following earlier malfunctions on another carrier.
Five personnel were safely rescued after an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet jet went down on Sunday afternoon.
The helicopter had three crew members, while the fighter jet carried two pilots. All five were rescued in stable condition.
Investigations into the causes of both incidents are now underway.
The USS Nimitz is currently on its final deployment before decommissioning. It is returning to Naval Base Kitsap in Washington.
The carrier had recently completed a summer mission in the Middle East. This mission involved operations responding to attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
These recent crashes echo a string of prior malfunctions and accidents involving the USS Harry S Truman during its Middle East operations.
In December, a guided-missile destroyer, the USS Gettysburg, accidentally shot down an F/A-18 from the Truman.
Another F/A-18 slid off the Truman’s deck into the Red Sea in April.
In May, a fighter jet attempting to land on the Truman missed its arresting cables and fell into the sea. Both pilots ejected safely in that incident.
No fatalities have been reported in any of these incidents across either the USS Nimitz or the USS Harry S Truman. Official investigation reports for the prior incidents have not yet been released.