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An American sailor sustained minor injuries Monday when Navy fighter jet toppled off an aircraft carrier and sank into the Red Sea, reportedly during a Houthi strike.
The accident occurred as the $60 million Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet was being hauled from a hangar on the USS Harry S. Truman when the carrier suddenly shifted, sending the hauling vehicle and jet overboard with the pilot inside.
The carrier had suddenly made a hard turn to avoid fire during an attack by Houthi rebels, an official told CNN.
The Houthi rebel group claimed Monday to have launched a drone and missile attack on the aircraft carrier, which is stationed in the Red Sea as part of a U.S. military operation against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
All personnel were accounted for, and one sailor sustained a minor injury.
“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,” said a statement from the Navy. “Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”
“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 statement said. “Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”
The Navy emphasized that its own strike group remains “fully mission capable.”
The Truman has repeatedly been targeted in attacks by the Houthis in Yemen.
Another F/A-18 from the Truman was also “mistakenly fired” upon and shot down by the USS Gettysburg in the Red Sea in December; both pilots ejected safely.
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