President Donald Trump said investigators do not suspect foul play after two U.S. Navy aircraft crashed in the South China Sea over the weekend, and all five crew members were rescued and reported stable. He made the comments during a gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One and said he expected answers soon, including the possibility of bad fuel. The incidents involved aircraft operating from the carrier USS Nimitz during routine operations.
A reporter asked, “You’ve been briefed on the incident, on the Nimitz, both a fighter jet and a helicopter?” and Trump answered directly with, “I’ve heard about it, yeah,” keeping the exchange short and to the point. He emphasized he was awaiting further details from the Navy and other agencies working the scene. The tone was measured, focused on facts rather than speculation.
When pressed further with, “Do you know what happened there? What was that?” the president said plainly, “They’re going to let me know pretty soon. I think they should be able to find out. It could be bad fuel. I mean, it’s possible it’s bad fuel. Very unusual that that would happen,” Trump said. That line captured the immediate working theory circulating among officials without turning the conversation toward geopolitical blame. The comment kept attention on a technical explanation while investigators sort the evidence.
A reporter also asked, “You don’t think it was foul play or anything?” and Trump replied, “No, I don’t,” Trump replied. “They think it might be bad fuel.” The administration’s position, as voiced by the president, was that there was no current reason to assume hostile action. That stance aims to calm escalation and let the Navy complete its inquiry.
Two Navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz were lost in separate mishaps on Sunday: an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet. Both incidents happened during routine flight operations over the South China Sea, and quick search-and-rescue efforts retrieved all five service members involved. The Navy reported the rescued personnel were in stable condition after being brought aboard the carrier.
The U.S. Pacific Fleet noted in a post on X that around 2:54 p.m. local time the MH-60R assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 crashed while conducting routine operations from the USS Nimitz. Carrier Strike Group 11 teams launched recovery efforts swiftly and pulled all three helicopter crew members from the water. The immediate rescue response highlighted the training and readiness of sailors and aviators on station.
About 30 minutes after the helicopter mishap, an F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 also went down during flight operations, and both aviators ejected successfully before the jet hit the water. Search-and-rescue teams recovered the two airmen, returned them to the Nimitz, and confirmed they were in stable condition. The USS Nimitz itself has served for 50 years, and this deployment is planned to be its final tour before retirement, a long legacy under the Navy’s steady watch.
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