The United States Navy confirmed that it had recorded two almost simultaneous plane crashes in the South China Sea on Sunday. An F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter and an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, both deployed from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, crashed in the space of just thirty minutes during routine operations.
According to the official statement from the Pacific Fleet, the two aircraft were involved in separate missions when they crashed. None of the incidents caused any casualties, as all crew members managed to eject and were rescued safely.
“All people involved are well and in stable condition,” the US Navy said, adding that Both accidents are being investigated.
The two devices operated from the USS Nimitz, the oldest aircraft carrier in active service in the US Navy, launched in 1976 and currently serving its last deployment before being decommissioned. The ship was returning to the port of Kitsap, in Washington state, after an extended mission in the Middle East, where it supported operations against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
North American authorities immediately ruled out any possibility of sabotage or attack. According to President Donald Trump, the two accidents “hide nothing suspicious” and could have been caused by “defective fuel”.
Losses valued at more than 100 million euros
Material losses are estimated at around 115 million dollars (around 107 million euros) and The temporal coincidence of the two accidents – just half an hour apart – caught the attention of experts, who called for a thorough review of maintenance and supply protocols.
It is not the first time this year that the US Navy has faced similar setbacks. In April, the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman lost two Super Hornet fighters within a two-week span: one crashed into the Red Sea during a transport operation, and another after a failed landing.
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