Navy helicopter and fighter jet go down in separate crashes in South China Sea
FILE-US Navy sailors stand on the deck as they deploy with the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz from North Island Naval Station in San Diego, California. (Photo by VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images)
A fighter jet and a helicopter based off the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other over the weekend.
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The two incidents occurred on Oct. 26, and the Navy's Pacific Fleet said in a statement that the two crashes are under investigation.
Navy Pacific Fleet statement
Dig deeper:
In a statement from the Navy's Pacific Fleet obtained by the Associated Press, officials reported that three crew members of the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter were rescued on Oct. 26, and the two aviators in the F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet ejected and were recovered safely, and all five "are safe and in stable condition."
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The other side:
President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo on Monday that the incident might have been caused by "bad fuel." But Trump ruled out foul play and added there was "nothing to hide."
According to the Associated Press, the USS Nimitz is traveling to its home port in Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state after being deployed to the Middle East for most of the summer as part of the U.S. response to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on commercial shipping.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, which obtained a statement from the Navy's Pacific Fleet about the incidents. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.