Source: Direct News
According to CCTV International Video, the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet issued news that about 2:45 p.m. on October 26 local time, a U.S. Navy MH-60R "Sea Eagle" helicopter, which belongs to the 73rd helicopter maritime strike squadron, fell into the waters of the South China Sea while taking off from the aircraft carrier Nimitz.
Less than an hour later, at 3:15 p.m. local time, an F/A-18F "Super Hornet" fighter jet belonging to the 22nd Fighter Attack Squadron also crashed into the South China Sea while taking off from the "Nimitz" for a mission. Two crew members ejected and escaped and were also rescued.
The US military said the cause of the two crashes is currently under investigation.
According to public information, the "Nimitz" aircraft carrier is currently performing its last deployment mission before returning to the west coast of the United States. The carrier, along with its escort vessels and the 17th Carrier Aircraft Wing, which has been on board, departed from the West Coast on March 26. As part of the U.S. response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping, the carrier spent most of the summer operating in the Middle East. The aircraft carrier entered the South China Sea on October 17, the U.S. Naval Institute News Network reported at the time.