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USS Nimitz helicopter crash: How the Navy lost 2 of its aircraft within 30 minutes in the South China Sea

USS Nimitz - an aircraft carrier that's nearing its retirement - suffered an unfortunate mishap in the South China Sea over the weekend.
posted by Akanksha Mishra
Monday 10/27/2025 at 4:52AM EDT
  • NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - APRIL 10: A helicopter is seen floating after it crashed into the Hudson River near lower Manhattan, on April 10, 2025 in New York, United States. All 6 passengers dead from helicopter crash into Hudson River near lower Manhattan, New York City Mayor Adams confirms. (Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
    NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - APRIL 10: A helicopter is seen floating after it crashed into the Hudson River near lower Manhattan, on April 10, 2025 in New York, United States. All 6 passengers dead from helicopter crash into Hudson River near lower Manhattan, New York City Mayor Adams confirms. (Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

    On Sunday, October 26, in an unusual event, two US Navy aircraft crashed into the South China Sea in the time span of half an hour. According to the Navy Pacific Fleet, both aircraft had been deployed from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz on Sunday afternoon.

    An MH-60R Seahawk helicopter was the first aircraft to go down the carrier around 2:45 PM for "conducting routine operations." About 30 minutes later, a fighter jet on the carrier - an F/A-18F Super Hornet - took off, crashing soon afterwards while conducting routine operations as well. 

    The helicopter had three crew members, with two aviators on board on the fighter jet. All five of them ejected from their crashing aircraft and were recovered safely, a statement from the Navy fleet announced. 

    President Trump, who is traveling from Malaysia to Japan on Monday (October 27), also found the crashes to be "very unusual". When questioned about his thoughts on the root of these crashes, Trump put forward a potential fuel problem, adding that the real cause would be uncovered soon. 

    Meanwhile, the US Navy has already launched an investigation into the back-to-back crashes, CNN Politics reports. The media outlet also reports that the jet fighter marks at least the fourth fighter jet worth $60 million that the US Navy has lost in 2025. 

    US Navy lost two more fighter jets in the Middle East earlier this year 

    After the crashes that took place over the weekend, the USS Nimitz is set to return to its home port in Washington's Naval Base Kitsap. The aircraft carrier, which is not only the country's oldest but also one of the largest warships in the world, has spent most of 2025 in the Middle East. 

    It was sent to the region around the summer to enable the US to respond to the attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels. Per CNN Politics, USS Nimitz is expected to be retired in 2026. 

    However, Nimitz isn't the only US aircraft carrier to have suffered significant losses this year. Before Nimitz, USS Harry S. Truman was also deployed to the Middle East (Red Sea, to be more specific). 

    The carrier lost two more F/A-18 fighter jets in the Red Sea, with one of them suffering a landing system issue, while the other slipped off the hangar deck and fell into the sea.
     

    TOPICS: USS Nimitz, South China Sea