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By Robert Birsel and John Feng
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A U.S. helicopter and fighter jet crashed in the South China Sea on Sunday within an hour of one another during routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, the Pacific Fleet said, and President Donald Trump later said "bad fuel" was believed to be the reason the two aircraft went down.
All crew members were safely recovered, including three personnel from an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and two pilots from an F/A-18F Super Hornet, a twin-seat carrier jet.
Why It Matters
The South China Sea is a a vital shipping lane for international trade and is rich in oil, gas and fisheries, and is also a flashpoint between China and several of its neighbours due to overlapping maritime and territorial claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Taiwan.
Trump suspects bad fuel was behind U.S. helicopter, jet crashes in Asia on News
Since 1979, the U.S. Navy has routinely sent ships and aircraft to challenge what Washington deems excessive maritime claims and it maintains its presence in the disputed sea to uphold the lawful use of the waterway and international airspace, including the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight.
The U.S. and its allies, including the Philippines, often carry out naval exercises in the sea, including to assert sovereignty over disputed islands and reefs in the contested Spratly Islands, and Chinese warships often keep tabs on the war games and occasional confrontations take place.
What To Know
The Navy Seahawk—built for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and vertical replenishment at sea, among other roles—went down at 2:45 p.m. local time on Octoger 26, the Pacific Fleet said. The rotorcraft was assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73.
Search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11 "safely recovered all three crew members." Half an hour later, however, the Super Hornet, also conducting routine operations from the Nimitz, also went down in the sea.
“Separately, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter assigned to the ‘Fighting Redcocks’ of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 also went down in the waters of the South China Sea,” the statement said. Both crew members successfully ejected and were also safely recovered.
"All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition," the Navy said. "The cause of both incidents is currently under investigation."
The Pacific Fleet made no mention of any reason why the two aircraft went down, nor did it mention the presence of any ships or planes from any other countries in the area at the time.
The incident happened as Trump was arriving in Malaysia at the start of an Asia tour that is expected to include a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday.
The president later told reporters on Air Force One he expected to be briefed soon on the reason that the two aircraft ditched in the sea but he ruled out any foul play or security reason.
“No, they think it might be bad fuel. We're going to find out. Nothing to hide. We'll find out,” Trump said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a briefing that China is willing to provide necessary assistance from a humanitarian perspective if requested by the U.S., China’s Global Times newspaper reported.
Guo said the frequent dispatch by the U.S. of warships and military aircraft to the South China Sea to “flex its muscles” is the root cause of maritime security issues and it undermines regional peace and stability.
In 2022, the Navy lost and later salvaged a F-35C Lightning II fifth-generation stealth jet after it had crashed into the South China Sea in a "landing mishap" on the carrier USS Carl Vinson.
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Military tensions between China and the U.S. and its allies remain high amid frequent encounters. Last week, Australia accused a Chinese air force fighter jet of an "unsafe and unprofessional" maneuver during a on interaction over the South China Sea.
China accused Australia of having illegally entered Chinese airspace in the disputed Paracel island group. Such close encounters raise the risks of an accident sparking an armed clash, according to the U.S. and its allies.
Earlier in August, China said its forces "expelled" the USS Higgins from waters near the contested Scarborough Shoal after the U.S. Arleigh Burke-class destroyer had conducted a freedom of navigation operation to challenge Beijing's territorial claims. The Navy said at the time that Chinese forces hadn't deterred the U.S. crew from its mission.
In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal rejected China's sweeping South China Sea claims in the waters but Chinese government has ignored the ruling since.
What Happens Next
Trump is expected to meet Xi on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, where trade is expected to dominate their agenda but security issues including the South China Sea and the de facto independent island of Taiwan are also likely to be raised.
Update 10/27/2025, 6:30 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and graphics.
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