F‑18 jet goes overboard: Another mishap hits USS Truman
The F/A-18 fighter jet, which landed on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, went overboard, a representative of the U.S. Department of Defense told the AP agency.
The F/A-18 fighter jet, which landed on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, went overboard, forcing two pilots to eject, CNN quotes the statement from the representative of the U.S. Department of Defense. The accident occurred on Tuesday, May 6, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The pilots were rescued by a helicopter. Both are alive, although they sustained minor injuries.
CNN, citing two sources, reported that the aircraft crashed into the sea and has not yet been recovered.
According to CNN, the cause of the incident was most likely a malfunction of the equipment that catches the aircraft during landing on the carrier. This is not the first such case recently. The previous incident occurred on April 29. At that time, an F/A-18E Super Hornet slid into the sea from the deck of the same carrier. One person was injured, and the American military lost an aircraft worth about $60 million (83 million CAD).
Numerous problems of the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier
The American aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman is stationed in the Red Sea as part of the American offensive against Yemeni Houthi rebels. As CNN indicates, the carrier has faced numerous problems since its deployment in the area. In December, one of the F/A-18 fighters conducting a mission from the Truman was "mistakenly fired upon" by USS Gettysburg and crashed into the Red Sea. Both pilots safely ejected.
Meanwhile, in February of this year, the Truman was involved in a collision with a commercial ship near Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea. Following this incident, the commander of the Truman, Captain Dave Snowden, was relieved of duty. The command of the carrier was taken over by Captain Christopher Hill.
