Fighter Misses Landing on USS Harry Truman, Goes Overboard

The US Navy is mourning its second $60 million loss in just over a week, with both incidents involving an F-18 falling from the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) aircraft carrier and into the Red Sea. The more recent fighter failed to catch the arresting cables and went overboard.

On April 28, a Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 136 was lost overboard from the carrier’s hangar bay.  According to official Navy statements, the jet "was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft.” Both the Super Hornet and the tow tractor fell into the sea. A crewmember was reportedly in the cockpit at the time, but successfully evacuated before the aircraft went overboard.

Though nothing has been confirmed, this incident may have occurred as Truman swerved away from a Houthi attack. Evasive maneuvers, or zig-zag turns, are standard procedure when missile threats are detected and can move the carrier hundreds of yards in under a minute.

The $67 million F/A-18E was presumed to have sunk and, as if the ship’s week wasn’t expensive enough, its losing streak hasn’t ended.

Another US Navy F/A-18F fell off the end of USS Harry S. Truman at around 9:45 pm on May 6. The jet, with two on board, had a “failed arrestment” and missed the landing cables. It sped off the end of the aircraft carrier and into the water, leaving just enough time for both occupants to eject and escape the incident with minor injuries.

The carrier is home to the Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 136 (VFA-136). The “Knighthawks” group typically has a fleet of around 24 Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets on the ship, including both the single-seat F/A-18E and tandem-seat F/A-18F variants.

The Navy is investigating both incidents.

FMI: www.navy.mil