In a troubling repeat incident, two U.S. Navy pilots were forced to eject on Tuesday while attempting to land their F/A-18F Super Hornet on the USS Harry S. Truman, resulting in the aircraft plunging into the Red Sea. According to the Department of Defense, the fighter jet — part of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 — suffered an arrestment failure while approaching the flight deck, sending the $67.4 million aircraft overboard.
Both aviators were recovered safely and assessed with only minor injuries. No crew members on the flight deck were harmed.
“The aviators were evaluated by medical personnel and assessed to have minor injuries. No flight deck personnel were injured,” a DOD official confirmed to Fox News Digital.
This marks the second Super Hornet lost from the USS Truman in just over a week, highlighting what may be emerging as a concerning pattern aboard the carrier.
In the earlier incident, another F/A-18F was being towed inside the hangar bay when the crew lost control, causing it to fall overboard. Although no injuries were reported and personnel took immediate evasive action, the jet was also unrecoverable.
The Navy insists that despite the back-to-back incidents, the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group remains fully mission-capable.
The USS Truman, flagship of a potent strike group in the Red Sea, has been engaged in direct operations against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen. These operations intensified in recent months, with F/A-18F squadrons launching strategic strikes from the carrier’s deck.
In a separate December incident, another Super Hornet launched from the USS Truman was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg in a friendly fire accident. The pilots ejected safely with minor injuries.
The Truman Strike Group consists of:
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The USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier
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Nine squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 1
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Three guided-missile destroyers from Destroyer Squadron 28
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The USS Gettysburg, a Ticonderoga-class cruiser
Despite the turbulence, officials affirm that the air wing and strike group remain operationally effective in the high-tension theater of the Red Sea.
Coinciding with Tuesday’s accident, President Trump announced a ceasefire with the Houthi terrorist group, signaling a potential pause in airstrikes from the Truman’s carrier wing. While the timing may reduce the immediate tempo of operations, it raises questions about long-term deployment needs and naval aviation readiness in conflict zones.
