US Navy Helicopter and Fighter Jet Crash in South China Sea, All Crew Rescued
The U.S. Pacific Fleet announced on October 26 (local time) that one U.S. Navy MH-60R helicopter and one F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet crashed in the South China Sea. All five crew members involved in the incidents – three from the helicopter and two from the fighter jet – were rescued and are in stable condition. According to the announcement, both aircraft launched from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and crashed separately on the afternoon of the same day (local time), within approximately 30 minutes of each other. The U.S. military is currently investigating the detailed cause of the accidents. The near-simultaneous crashes of two different types of aircraft in the strategically important South China Sea have sparked various speculations on social media. Comments such as "This can't be just an accident" and "Did China use a new weapon, for example, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon?" were seen. Many opinions also linked the timing to then-President Tr...