Two aircraft from the US Navy's aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, suffered crashes within a 30-minute window on Sunday afternoon, the Navy's Pacific Fleet announced. The incidents involved a fighter jet and a helicopter, both based on the carrier, which crashed into the South China Sea. The helicopter's three crew members were rescued, while the two aviators in the fighter jet ejected and were safely recovered. All five crew members are reported to be in stable condition and safe. The causes of the crashes are currently under investigation. The USS Nimitz is returning to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state after a deployment to the Middle East, which was part of the US response to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on commercial shipping. This deployment marks the carrier's final mission before decommissioning. The carrier's recent history includes a series of mishaps, with the USS Harry S. Truman experiencing similar issues while deployed to the Middle East. In December, the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 jet from the Truman. In April, another F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the Truman's hangar deck and fell into the Red Sea. In May, an F/A fighter jet went overboard after landing, apparently failing to catch the steel cables used to stop planes, forcing the pilots to eject. Fortunately, no sailors were killed in any of these incidents, and the investigations into these mishaps are ongoing.
