US EditionUS Navy Says It Recovered Two Aircraft that Crashed Into South China Sea
Both aircraft crashed in October with all five crew members surviving; recovered parts are sent to Indo-Pacific for analysis amid ongoing investigations.
- On Monday, the U.S. Navy said it recovered the two aircraft that fell off the USS Nimitz in October, retrieving wreckage from about 400 feet in the South China Sea last week.
- To aid investigations, recovered components are being sent to a designated U.S. military installation in the Indo‑Pacific for detailed analysis, and the Navy said the operation underscores naval integration and readiness of naval salvage and diving teams.
- The Navy said the two aircraft, from HSM-73 and VFA-22, went down about a half hour apart on Oct. 26, with recovery led by CTF 73, Task Force 75, SUPSALV, and CTG 73.6.
- The Navy reported that all five crew members survived the two crashes, and the incidents remain under investigation as wreckage is examined.
- The USS Nimitz, first deployed 1976, is scheduled to pull into Naval Base Kitsap this month after a nine-month deployment and begin decommissioning next year.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Navy Recovers 2 Aircraft that Crashed in the South China Sea during USS Nimitz Deployment
Last week, the Navy recovered two aircraft that crashed into the South China Sea in two separate late October incidents off of USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the sea service announced Tuesday. A contracted boat equipped with an unmanned system retrieved the F/A-18F Super Hornet and MH-60R Sea Hawk from a depth of approximately 400 feet. Both aircraft crashed into the South China Sea a half hour apart on Oct. 26, USNI News previously reported. All service …
During the course of last week, the U.S. Navy successfully carried out the recovery tasks of an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter and an MH-60R helicopter that had been lost by the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during its last deployment in the Pacific, which was constituted as the last [...] The entry The U.S. Navy recovers the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the MH-60R that lost the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during its last deployment in the Pacifi…
Navy Recovers Aircraft Lost from USS Nimitz
DECEMBER 9, 2025 – The U.S. Navy successfully recovered on Dec. 5, 2025 the F/A-18F Super Hornet and MH-60R Seahawk aircraft lost during two separate incidents off USS Nimitz (CVN 68). The recovery effort was conducted by Commander, Task Force 73 (CTF 73); Task Force 75; the Naval Sea Systems Command’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV); and CTG 73.6’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit. Both aircraft, lost on Oct. 26, 2025, were located and…
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