Two U.S. Navy aircraft operating from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz went down in the South China Sea on Sunday, October 26, 2025, about 30 minutes apart. Everyone involved was rescued, and officials said all personnel were safe and in stable condition.
Back to back incidents like this are rare, especially during what the Navy described as routine operations. Now investigators are working to figure out what happened, and the answers could shape safety decisions far beyond one ship.
What happened in the air over the South China Sea
The first incident involved an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter that went down at about 2:45 p.m. local time. The Navy said all three crew members were safely recovered.
Roughly half an hour later, an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet also went down in the same waters while operating from the carrier. Both aviators ejected and were recovered, with the Navy identifying the jet as assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22.
What these aircraft are built to do
The MH-60R is a Navy helicopter designed for missions like tracking submarines, spotting threats on the ocean surface, and moving people or gear quickly between ships. In plain terms, it is the kind of aircraft that helps a carrier group see what is happening around it, even when the horizon looks empty.
The F/A-18F Super Hornet is a two seat fighter jet used for air defense and strike missions, and it is a workhorse on carrier flight decks. If a carrier is like a floating airport, these jets are the fast movers that have to launch and land with very little room for error. One small problem can turn into a big one fast.
Rescue efforts and the investigation now underway
The Navy said search and rescue assets from Carrier Strike Group 11 recovered the helicopter crew, and the two jet aviators were also pulled from the water. For anyone who has watched how quickly a workplace can switch into emergency mode, the timeline matters here, because every minute in open water can change the outcome.
Officials have not released a cause, saying both incidents are under investigation. That process typically looks at maintenance records, flight data, operational conditions, and human factors, because crashes are often a chain of issues rather than one single mistake.
In December, the U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs also reported that the Navy recovered both aircraft from the seafloor on December 5, 2025. That update suggests the service quickly shifted from rescue to salvage, which can help investigators confirm what failed and when.
Why this matters beyond one carrier and one day
The South China Sea is a busy stretch of water used by many countries, and it is also a flashpoint for regional tension. Even so, these incidents were described as routine operations, which is part of what makes the double mishap so attention grabbing.
There was also an unusual diplomatic note in the aftermath, with China’s foreign ministry publicly offering humanitarian assistance, according to Reuters. That does not change the investigation, but it shows how closely the region watches anything involving U.S. forces there.
The USS Nimitz, commissioned in 1975, is widely described as the Navy’s oldest active aircraft carrier and is expected to be decommissioned in 2026. With the ship nearing the end of its service life, any lessons learned from this investigation could feed into how the Navy manages training, maintenance, and risk as it transitions to newer carriers.
The main official statement has been published by the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
