US Navy fighter jet and helicopter crash separately in South China Sea

A US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter crashed in separate incidents in the South China Sea on Sunday, the US Pacific Fleet said.

The two military planes had been deployed from the USS Nimitz and crashed within 30 minutes of each other during routine operations, the Navy said in a statement Sunday.

“All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition. The causes of both incidents are currently under investigation,” it said.

According to the statement, the Sea Hawk was the first to collapse around 2:45 p.m. local time. He was assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Maritime Strike Helicopter Squadron 73.

The three crew members on board were later rescued, the Navy said.

The Super Hornet, of the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22, crashed at 3:15 p.m., according to the Navy. The statement added that the two crew members had ejected just before the fighter plane crashed.

The separate incidents come as President Donald Trump begins a diplomatic tour of Asia this week, which he kicked off with a meeting in Malaysia on Sunday.

The tour is expected to include a stop in China, where Trump is expected to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trade is high on the agenda as the Trump administration threatens to impose harsh tariffs on China and tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to rise.

Sunday’s crash marks the U.S. Navy’s fourth Super Hornet loss in the past 12 months. The first of the $60 million fighters was shot down last December by friendly fire over the Red Sea, while two others fell from their flight decks this spring.

The three previously lost planes had been deployed on the USS Harry S. Truman, an aircraft carrier in the same class as the Nimitz.

The MH-60R Sea Hawk is the Navy’s most advanced variant of the Sea Hawk, which is essentially a maritime version of the Black Hawk helicopter. Estimated to cost approximately $40 million, it is built for a wide variety of missions, including searching for and attacking submarines, serving as a flying command post, or conducting rescue operations.

The Nimitz, commissioned in 1975, is the Navy’s oldest operating aircraft carrier and the leading ship in its class. The 50-year-old warship is expected to begin its decommissioning process next year.