Super Hornet, Helicopter Assigned to USS Nimitz Crash in South China Sea in Separate Incidents, Crew Safe
An F/A-18F Super Hornet and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) crashed in the South China Sea on Sunday in two separate incidents in the Pacific, USNI News has learned.
“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 73 went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier, reads a statement from U.S. Pacific Fleet. “Search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11 safely recovered all three crew members.”
Less than an hour later, at 3:15 p.m., a two-seater Super Hornet assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 also crashed while flying from Nimitz.
“Both crew members successfully ejected and were also safely recovered by search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11,” reads the statement.
All crew are safe and in stable condition and the incidents are under investigation.
Nimitz is on the return leg of its final deployment before returning to the West Coast. The carrier, its escorts and the embarked Carrier Air Wing 17 left from the West Coast on March 26. The carrier operated in the Middle East for most of the summer, as part of the U.S. response the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. The carrier entered the South China Sea on Oct. 17, USNI News reported at the time.
What a spectacular way to mark Nimitz's final deployment (she is planned for retirement in January 2026).
