A United States (US) Navy jet fighter and a helicopter have crashed into the South China Sea within half an hour of each other.
According to a statement, three crew members aboard the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter were rescued after the aircraft went down during operations at about 2:45 pm local time.
In a separate incident, two aviators flying an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet ejected safely after the plane "went down" while "conducting routine operations."
"All five Navy personnel are safe and in stable condition," the Navy said, adding that the causes of both crashes remain under investigation.
The two aircraft were operating from the carrier USS Nimitz, which has been returning to its homeport in Washington after deployment in the Middle East.
It was said that the Nimitz has been part of the US response to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial shipping and is currently on its final mission before decommissioning.
The twin accidents come amid a string of recent mishaps involving US naval aircraft in the region.
Earlier this year, the USS Harry S Truman suffered multiple aviation incidents, including a December episode in which the cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down a jet from the carrier.
In April, another F/A-18 crashed into the Red Sea, and a month later, a similar aircraft went overboard after failing to engage its landing cables.
No fatalities have been reported in any of the latest incidents, but the US Navy said it is reviewing safety protocols as investigations continue.
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