SOUTH CHINA SEA (Bloomberg): A US military helicopter and fighter jet crashed in the South China Sea, with the incidents occurring about 30 minutes apart and coinciding with a visit by President Donald Trump to Asia.
A Sea Hawk helicopter went down about 2:45 p.m. on Sunday "while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz,” the US Navy said in a post on X. A Navy official said no details on the location of the carrier would be provided due to operational security.
Then at about 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet also crashed, the Navy said on Monday, adding that all five people involved in the accidents were safe and investigations were underway. It was unclear where the incidents occurred and no details have been released yet on the suspected causes of the incidents.
The carrier strike group was in the South China Sea region on the final leg of its deployment before heading back to the US West Coast, according to US Naval Institute News, which tracks carrier groups.
US President Donald Trump said he was aware of the incident but didn’t suspect foul play.
"They think it might be bad fuel,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Beijing opposes the US military presence in the South China Sea, saying it destabilizes the region. China claims nearly the entire area, where it has built numerous artificial islands.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also claim parts of the sea and have sparred with Beijing over where the boundaries fall.
Trump’s trip includes stops in Malaysia as well as Japan and South Korea, which are both US allies. During the visit, US and Chinese trade negotiators agreed on handling a range of contentious points, spanning tariffs, shipping fees, fentanyl and export controls. That sets up Trump and President Xi Jinping to finalize a deal during a meeting scheduled for later in the week.
-- With assistance from Alastair Gale and Josh Wingrove.-- ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
