Fighter Jet Worth $70 Million Accidentally Falls from USS Harry S. Truman Into Red Sea, the Second in Less Than Two Weeks
A second fighter jet worth millions of dollars fell from the USS Harry S. Truman into the Red Sea. Officials said that a U.S. F-18 jet went overboard on Tuesday after slipping off the aircraft carrier's flight deck, injuring two pilots. This is the second expensive plane the US Navy has lost to the sea in less than 10 days
The F/A-18 Super Hornet suffered an "arrestment failure" while trying to land on the USS Harry S. Truman, CNN reported. Both the pilots managed to eject safely before the jet plunged into the sea and were later rescued by a helicopter. They sustained only minor injuries and received medical treatment.
Second Fighter Jet Lost in Less Than Two Weeks
Preliminary reports suggest that the tail hook failed to catch the arresting wire meant to slow the aircraft, which continued to move forward toward the bow before plunging into the sea, sources told the news outlet.
This marks the second recent incident involving the loss of a fighter jet—each valued at up to $70 million—in the Red Sea.
Last Monday, a $56 million F/A-18 fighter jet skidded off the USS Truman while the massive aircraft carrier was making a sharp maneuver to dodge incoming attacks from Houthi militants.
A quick-thinking sailor narrowly escaped disaster, jumping out just moments before the jet plunged into the Red Sea. The unidentified sailor was inside the cockpit when the aircraft suddenly slipped from the deck, Business Insider reported.
Navy officials earlier said that the crew lost control of the Super Hornet during the maneuver, and one sailor was injured in the incident. However, a U.S. defense official later confirmed that the injured sailor—who sustained only minor injuries—bailed out of the cockpit as soon as he realized the jet was about to fall overboard.
Jets Still in Sea
It's still unclear how much time elapsed between the sailor's escape and the jet's fall into the sea. The defense official said that it's standard practice to have a crew member inside the cockpit during such movements to operate emergency brakes or steer the jet if necessary.
Fighter jets are regularly repositioned on the hangar deck to prepare them for flight missions or maintenance tasks.
It remains unclear if any efforts will be made to recover the jet, which belonged to Strike Fighter Squadron 136. The incident is still being investigated.
The USS Truman has been stationed in the Middle East for several months and has recently taken part in military operations targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen.
According to U.S. Central Command, the military has been carrying out strikes regularly using fighter jets, bombers, naval vessels, and drones. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has already extended the Truman's deployment by about a month.
Last month, U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, reportedly killed eight, according to statements from the Houthi rebels.
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