DOUBLE DOWN

U.S. Navy Helicopter and Fighter Jet Both Crash in 30 Minutes

President Trump blamed “bad fuel” for the “very unusual” crashes in the South China Sea.

A U.S. Navy helicopter and a fighter jet crashed within 30 minutes of each other during two separate incidents in the South China Sea, the Pacific Fleet reported. A MH-60R Seahawk helicopter went down while conducting “routine operations” in the contested waters at around 2.45 p.m. local time, the Navy confirmed on social media. It added that a search-and-rescue team was scrambled and that all three crew members were recovered. But just half an hour later, a second incident saw an F/A-18F Super Hornet Fighter jet, also dispatched from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, go down in the same patch of water. Both pilots were rescued after successfully ejecting from the craft before it hit the water, the military confirmed, and said it is launching an investigation into the incident. Although the cause of the crashes remains unknown, President Donald Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One that, “They think it might be bad fuel. We’re gonna find out.”