A San Diego-based Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter deployed on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz was one of two Navy aircraft that crashed into the South China Sea in separate incidents Sunday, the Navy said in a statement.
About 30 minutes after the helicopter went down an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the Nimitz also crashed.
The three people on board the helicopter and the Super Hornet crew were all recovered safely and are in stable condition, the Navy said.
The two crashes occurred about 30 minutes apart, a U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesperson said.
The helicopter is from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 7, based at Naval Air Station North Island.
The Super Hornet is from the Lemoore, Ca.-based Strike Fighter Squadron 22.
Both squadrons are deployed with Carrier Strike Group 11 on the Bremerton, Wa.-based Nimitz.
The cause of each crash is under investigation, the Navy said.
