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US Navy Recovers F/A-18 Hornet and MH-60 From South China Sea After October Crashes

Brad Lendon, CNN|CNN
08:16 PM, 12/10/2025
US Navy Recovers F/A-18 Hornet and MH-60 From South China Sea After October Crashes
An MH-60R Sea Hawk takes off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during flight operations in the US Central Command area of responsibility. - Seaman Edward Jacome/Digital/USS Nimitz

The US Navy recovered an F/A-18 Hornet and an MH-60 helicopter from roughly 400 feet (122 meters) in the South China Sea on Dec. 5 after both aircraft crashed while operating from the USS Nimitz in late October. All crew were rescued and the Navy is transporting recovered components to an Indo‑Pacific facility for forensic analysis. Officials have not released an official cause; President Trump suggested contaminated fuel as a possible factor and an investigation remains ongoing. The effort follows a similar 2022 salvage of an F-35 from much deeper water.

The US Navy announced that it recovered two aircraft that crashed into the South China Sea in late October while operating from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. Using an unmanned recovery system deployed from a contracted vessel, salvage teams lifted an F/A-18 Hornet fighter and an MH-60 helicopter from about 400 feet (122 meters) on Dec. 5, the service said.

All crew members were rescued after the October incidents, and no official cause has been released. President Donald Trump later suggested to reporters that contaminated fuel might have contributed to the mishaps. The Navy said an investigation remains open.

Recovery, Analysis and Strategic Context

Lieutenant Commander Christopher Andersen, officer in charge of the salvage mission, praised the multidisciplinary effort: "Everyone involved brought critical expertise ensuring we could safely and successfully bring these aircraft back under US custody." According to the Navy, recovered components are being transported to a designated U.S. military installation in the Indo‑Pacific region for detailed forensic analysis.

The recoveries took place in a strategically sensitive portion of the South China Sea, a waterway claimed in whole or in part by several Southeast Asian nations and heavily contested by China. Over the past two decades, Beijing has expanded military facilities on disputed islands and reefs, prompting the United States to maintain a steady regional presence to defend freedom of navigation and reassure allies.

Experts noted that even older airframes can contain valuable technical information, and recovering wreckage reduces the risk of sensitive material falling into the hands of an adversary. The mission echoes a larger 2022 salvage operation that recovered an F-35 from about 12,400 feet (3,700 meters) after it sank while attempting to land on the carrier USS Carl Vinson.

The Navy emphasized safety and security throughout the recovery and said the investigation into the October crashes will continue until a cause is determined.

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