Two US Navy Aircraft Crash in South China Sea Five Sailors Rescued as Navy Opens Investigation

Trouble in the South China Sea: US Navy Helicopter and Jet Crash in Separate Incidents

• Two U.S. Navy aircraft from USS Nimitz went down during routine operations.
• All five crew members were rescued and are reported stable.
• Incidents occurred within minutes of each other and are under investigation.
• This raises questions about readiness, maintenance, and asset deployment.

There’s troubling news for the U.S. Navy on Sunday, as two of its aircraft went down in the South China Sea in separate incidents. Both incidents happened during what the Navy called routine operations, and they occurred within a tight time window that will not be ignored. The quick rescue of all crew is the best outcome, but the timing is unnerving.

Two U.S. Navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz — a Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet — crashed during separate “routine operations” over the South China Sea on Sunday, with all five crew members rescued and in stable condition as the Navy investigates both incidents.

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Roughly 30 minutes after the helicopter incident, an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the Nimitz, assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22, also went down in the South China Sea during flight operations.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet confirmed the events and said search and rescue assets from Carrier Strike Group 11 recovered all five sailors and aviators, who are in stable condition. While the human outcome was positive, two aircraft lost in a single deployment window is unacceptable and demands answers. Families and taxpayers deserve a clear, fast explanation.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet shared information regarding the incidents via its X account Sunday evening.

South China Sea – On October 26, 2025 at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time, a U.S. Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73 went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11 safely recovered all three crew members.

Following the incident, separately, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 also went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from Nimitz. Both crew members successfully ejected and were also safely recovered by search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11.

All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition.

The cause of both incidents is currently under investigation.

These events land against a backdrop of broader Navy troubles and shifting missions; assets have recently been redeployed toward the Caribbean amid rising tensions with Venezuela. That redeployment and recent carrier mishaps mean leaders need to explain whether operational tempo, maintenance shortfalls, or training gaps played a role. Republicans must press for a transparent probe that gets to the root cause and enforces accountability.

Readers should note related coverage on carrier readiness and prior losses, which raises the stakes for thorough investigations and immediate fixes. The Navy must protect sailors and maintain combat-ready forces in contested waters, not just manage optics. Congress needs answers and funding targeted to sustainment, not just press releases.

This is a developing story. RedState will provide further updates as additional information becomes available.