F/A‑18 jet lost at sea: Another mishap for USS Harry S. Truman
The F/A-18 fighter jet, which had landed on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, accidentally went overboard, as a representative of the United States Department of Defense informed the AP agency.
The F/A-18 fighter jet, which had landed on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, went overboard, forcing two pilots to eject, according to a statement from the United States Department of Defense, as reported by CNN. The incident occurred on Tuesday, 6th May, at 13:00 GMT. The pilots were rescued by a helicopter. Both survived, 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 likely cause of the incident was a malfunction of the arresting gear used to catch the aircraft during landing on the carrier. This is not the first such occurrence recently. The previous incident occurred on 29th April. 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 a jet valued at approximately $60 million (£45 million).
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 United States' offensive against Yemeni Houthi rebels. As CNN points out, the carrier has encountered several issues since its deployment in the region. In December, one of the F/A-18 fighters on a mission from the Truman was "mistakenly fired upon" by USS Gettysburg and subsequently crashed into the Red Sea. Both pilots successfully 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 Truman's commander, Captain Dave Snowden, was relieved of duty. The command of the carrier was assumed by Captain Christopher Hill.
