A U.S. Navy Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet crashed separately into the South China Sea on Sunday during routine operations from the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, the U.S. Navy said. All personnel involved were rescued and are in stable condition.
The two crashes occurred within an hour of each other while President Donald Trump was visiting Asia. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump called the twin incidents “unusual” and suggested “bad fuel” might be to blame, pending investigation results.
The U.S. Pacific Fleet confirmed both incidents are under investigation and did not disclose the carrier’s exact location. Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry offered humanitarian assistance to the United States following the crashes.
According to the Navy, the Sea Hawk went down around 14:45 Sunday, followed shortly afterward by the Super Hornet. Trump’s trip continues in Tokyo, before a scheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.