An F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East, as sailors were towing the aircraft into place in the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman on Monday, the Navy said.
The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped out before the jet and the tug went into the Red Sea. According to a defense official, the sailor who jumped from the aircraft sustained a minor injury. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel details.
“The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” the Navy said in a statement. The jet was part of Strike Fighter Squadron 136.
Fighter jets are routinely towed around the hangar deck to park them where they are needed for any flight operations or other work. It is unclear whether there will be an effort to recover the jet, which costs about $60 million. The incident is under investigation.
The Truman has been deployed to the Middle East for months and recently has been involved in stepped-up military operations against the Yemen-based Houthi rebels. U.S. Central Command has said that the military has conducted daily strikes, which have been done by fighter jets, bombers, ships and drones.
The Truman’s deployment has already been extended once by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by about a month.
The carrier and its strike group have been involved in several high-profile incidents in recent months. In December, two U.S. Navy pilots in a Super Hornet were shot down by the guided missile cruiser Gettysburg in a “friendly fire” incident after taking off from the Truman while operating in the Middle East, according to the Navy.
In February, the carrier collided with a civilian merchant vessel while operating in the Mediterranean. No injuries were reported. The carrier underwent repairs, and the Navy relieved the commanding officer, Capt. Dave Snowden, one week after the collision due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to command,” the Navy said at the time.
Military Times editor Beth Sullivan contributed to this report.
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