Amid Trump’s Asia Tour, Two US Navy Aircraft Crash Over South China Sea

The US Navy has launched an investigation after two 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.

According to the US Pacific Fleet, all five crew members involved in the incidents were rescued and are in stable condition. The Navy’s Pacific Fleet, its largest operational command, confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter from the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 went down around 2:45 pm local time while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.

Roughly 30 minutes later, an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet also crashed while operating in the same region. Both incidents occurred in international waters of the South China Sea, one of the world’s most sensitive and heavily contested maritime zones.

In an official statement, the US Pacific Fleet emphasized that all five service members were safe and accounted for. The cause of the crashes remains under investigation, and the Navy has not yet disclosed details about weather conditions, possible technical malfunctions, or the nature of the training missions underway at the time.

The twin crashes occurred as US President Donald Trump was visiting Asia, spending Sunday night in Malaysia, which borders the southern edge of the South China Sea. He is scheduled to depart for Japan on Monday.

The incidents come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing, with both nations recently engaging in a series of trade restrictions and diplomatic exchanges. However, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Sunday that a framework trade agreement had been reached with China, signaling a temporary easing of hostilities.

Still, the two crashes in the strategically vital South China Sea underscore the volatile mix of military activity and geopolitical rivalry that continues to define the region.

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

— U.S. Pacific Fleet (@USPacificFleet) October 26, 2025