Two US Navy aircraft, a fighter jet and a helicopter, crashed within 30 minutes of each other on Sunday over the South China Sea, according to a statement from the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet.

 

 

 

All crew members involved were rescued and are in stable condition, while investigations into the cause of both incidents are underway.

 

 

 

The first crash involved an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, which went down around 2:45 p.m. local time while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. Its three crew members were successfully rescued. About half an hour later, an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet also crashed during similar operations, with both pilots ejecting safely before being recovered by search-and-rescue teams.

 

 

 

 

The USS Nimitz, which had been deployed to the Middle East earlier this year as part of the US response to Houthi rebel attacks on commercial vessels, is currently returning to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state. The 50-year-old warship, the oldest active aircraft carrier in the US Navy, is on its final deployment before decommissioning.

 

 

 

Reacting to the incidents, US President Donald Trump described them as “very unusual” and suggested a possible fuel issue.

 

 

 

 

“They think it might be bad fuel. We’re gonna find out. Nothing to hide, sir,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Malaysia to Japan on Monday, October 27.

 

 

 

 

This marks at least the fourth loss of an F/A-18 fighter jet this year, with previous incidents including crashes in the Red Sea and off the coast of Virginia during training operations. None of those earlier accidents resulted in fatalities.

 

 

 

The crashes come at a delicate time, as tensions continue to rise in the South China Sea, a region claimed almost entirely by China despite overlapping territorial claims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Over the past two decades, Beijing has built military installations and artificial islands in the area, expanding its presence despite international opposition.

 

 

 

The US Navy maintains a constant presence in the region to challenge China’s territorial claims and uphold freedom of navigation in one of the world’s busiest trade routes.

 

 

 

China’s foreign ministry said it was willing to provide humanitarian assistance following the crashes, though it reiterated its opposition to the ongoing US military presence, calling it destabilizing.

 

 

 

The incidents occurred as President Trump continues his Asia tour, which began in Malaysia and includes upcoming meetings in Japan and South Korea, where he is scheduled to hold face-to-face talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The talks are expected to focus on trade relations and regional security, with Trump saying he remains hopeful

of reaching a “strong deal” with Beijing.