US F-18 fighter jet crashes into the Philippine Sea in the second USS Reagan crash in one month
- A US F-18 fighter jet based on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the Philippine Sea on Monday.
- Both pilots ejected safely and the Nimitz-class supercarrier's rescue aircraft picked them up.
- The F-18, from Carrier Air Wing 5, went down due to "mechanical issues," the Navy said.
- It's the second military aircraft incident in the last 30 days, after a MH-60 Seahawk crashed onto the deck of USS Ronald Reagan on October 19.
A US Navy F-18 fighter jet crashed into the Philippine Sea early on Monday morning in the second aircraft mishap aboard the USS Ronald Reagan within a month.
The F-18, part of Carrier Air Wing 5 onboard the USS Ronald Reagan, experienced a "mechanical issue that resulted in the crew ejecting" while carrying out "routine operations" from the Nimitz-class supercarrier, the US Navy 7th Fleet said.
Both pilots managed to eject before the plane impacted the sea off the coast of the Philippines, and rescue aircraft based off the USS Ronald Reagan swiftly picked them up, they said.
On October 19, a US Navy MH-60 Seahawk helicopter crashed onto the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan, injuring a dozen sailors, but causing no fatalities.
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The Navy say the pilots are in a good condition and were evaluated by medical personnel after their rescue. They said the crash is now under investigation.
The USS Ronald Reagan has now resumed normal operations after the incident, currently supporting "security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," the Navy said.