Jet Falls From Aircraft Carrier, Injuring One Sailor

On April 28, 2025, a US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 136 was lost overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) while under tow in the carrier’s hangar bay. The incident occurred in the Red Sea amid ongoing military operations involving Houthi rebel forces in Yemen.

According to official statements, the aircraft was being repositioned inside the hangar bay when the towing team lost control. Both the Super Hornet and the tow tractor fell into the sea. A sailor was reportedly in the cockpit at the time—standard practice during hangar movements—but successfully evacuated before the aircraft went overboard. The Navy confirmed that all personnel were accounted for and only one was injured and treated.

Unofficial sources indicate that the carrier may have made a sudden turn to avoid incoming Houthi fire at the time of the mishap. The Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for an attack on the carrier that same day. While not officially confirmed, such evasive maneuvers—“zig-zag” tactics—are standard procedure when missile threats are detected. These sharp turns can displace a 100,000-ton carrier by hundreds of yards in under a minute.

The aircraft, valued at over $60 million, is presumed to have sunk. Despite the loss, the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and its air wing “remain fully mission capable,” according to a Navy statement.

This is not the first incident involving the Truman carrier in the region. Earlier in the year, the carrier was involved in a minor collision with a merchant ship near Egypt. In December, another F/A-18 from the same carrier was mistakenly shot down by the cruiser USS Gettysburg. Luckily, both crew members ejected safely.

FMI: www.navy.mil