Huh?! Helicopter AND Jet from the Same Aircraft Carrier Go Down Minutes Apart in the South China Sea

By ABC News. A Navy helicopter and a fighter jet, both conducting routine operations from the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, went down in the South China Sea about 30 minutes apart Sunday, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement.

The U.S. Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter went down at about 2:45 p.m. local time. All three crew members were safely recovered, the Navy said.

“Following the incident, separately, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter assigned to the ‘Fighting Redcocks’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 also went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from Nimitz.”

Both crew members ejected and were also safely recovered, the Navy said.

“All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition. The cause of both incidents is currently under investigation,” the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in the statement. (Read more from “Huh?! Helicopter AND Jet from the Same Aircraft Carrier Go Down Minutes Apart in the South China Sea” HERE)

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5 crew members rescued after Navy helicopter, fighter jet go down in South China Sea in separate incidents

By NBC News. Five crew members were rescued after a Navy Seahawk helicopter and a Super Hornet fighter jet went down in the South China Sea a half-hour apart in separate incidents Sunday, the Navy’s Pacific Fleet said.

In one incident, an MH-60R helicopter assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 went down at 2:45 p.m. local time, the Pacific Fleet said on Facebook. The squadron is based at Naval Air Station North Island on the Coronado peninsula in San Diego.

Search-and-rescue teams were deployed and safely recovered all three crew members on the helicopter, the Pacific Fleet said.

Separately, an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 went down at 3:15 p.m., according to the fleet. That squadron is based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in Kings and Fresno counties, California.

Both crew members “successfully ejected” and were also rescued, the Pacific Fleet said. (Read more from “5 crew members rescued after Navy helicopter, fighter jet go down in South China Sea in separate incidents” HERE)