In a day marked by unexpected challenges, two aircraft from the USS Nimitz experienced crashes during separate routine operations over the South China Sea on Sunday. Fortunately, all five crew members involved were successfully rescued and are in stable condition as the Navy conducts thorough investigations into both incidents.
The U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Navy’s largest operational command, reported via a social media post that around 2:54 p.m. local time, an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, part of the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73, went down in the South China Sea while performing routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
In response, search-and-rescue teams from Carrier Strike Group 11, which operates in conjunction with the Nimitz, swiftly launched efforts to recover the crew. All three members of the helicopter’s crew were rescued from the water without delay.
After being brought back to the carrier for medical assessment, officials confirmed that the rescued personnel were in stable condition.
Approximately 30 minutes following the helicopter incident, an F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22, also crashed into the South China Sea during flight operations originating from the Nimitz.
Accompanying this report is a photo from the Navy Visual News Service, showing the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) at sea after a port visit to Naples, Italy, dated October 21, 2006. The image, captured by Miguel Angel Contreras, is provided courtesy of the U.S. Navy via Getty Images.
Search-and-rescue teams again responded swiftly, recovering the jet’s two crew members, who had successfully ejected before the aircraft hit the water. Both aviators were transported back to the Nimitz and are reported to be in stable condition.
The U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement that all five service members involved in the crashes are safe and accounted for.
An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the South China Sea, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin McTaggart/U.S. Navy via AP)
The causes of both incidents remain under investigation.
The Navy has not released additional details about weather conditions, possible mechanical issues, or the nature of the training missions being conducted at the time of the crashes.
The USS Nimitz, the Navy’s oldest active aircraft carrier, is deployed in the Indo-Pacific region as part of Carrier Strike Group 11, which routinely conducts freedom-of-navigation and maritime security operations in the South China Sea—waters that have become increasingly contested amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China.
