A multi-million-dollar United States warplane plunged into the Red Sea on Tuesday after failing to land on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, marking the second such mishap involving the same ship in just over a week, the US military confirmed.
The aircraft, a two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet valued at approximately $67 million, went overboard after a landing attempt that ended in failure. According to a statement from US Central Command, the crash occurred due to the aircraft’s inability to decelerate upon landing.
A defence official, speaking to AFP, explained that the mishap was caused by a failure in the arresting mechanism. “The arrestment failed, causing the aircraft to go overboard,” the official said, noting that “both aviators safely ejected and were rescued by the search and rescue helicopter.”
Thankfully, the quick response meant the lives of the crew members were saved. “The aviators were evaluated by medical personnel and assessed to have minor injuries. No flight deck personnel were injured,” the official added.
This marks the second F/A-18 fighter jet to be lost from operations aboard the USS Harry S. Truman in just over a week. On April 28, another Super Hornet was lost in a separate accident that resulted in injuries to a sailor. That incident occurred while the aircraft was being towed and subsequently fell into the sea, pulling along the tractor that had been towing it.
Further compounding the recent series of aviation mishaps, a separate incident late last year saw yet another F/A-18, also operating from the Truman, mistakenly shot down by the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg. In that case, both pilots ejected and survived the friendly fire accident.
The Harry S. Truman is one of two US Navy aircraft carriers currently deployed in the Middle East. US military presence in the region has been intensified since mid-March in a sustained campaign of airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Huthi rebels. The goal has been to suppress Huthi attacks on international maritime traffic in the Red Sea and surrounding waters, which have posed a growing threat to commercial and naval vessels alike.
In a diplomatic development, the Sultanate of Oman announced on Tuesday that a ceasefire agreement had been reached between the United States and the Huthis. The deal could potentially lead to a de-escalation in hostilities and improve maritime security in the strategically vital region.
Despite the ceasefire news, the back-to-back losses of multi-million-dollar aircraft from a single carrier highlight ongoing operational and safety challenges faced by US naval forces in high-pressure deployments across volatile regions.
