An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) went overboard on Tuesday during an attempted landing on the aircraft carrier, a defense official confirmed to USNI News.
The two-seat Super Hornet, assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11, came in for a night landing around 9 p.m. local time when the hook of the aircraft failed to catch the arresting wire on the aircraft carrier.
“The arrestment failed, causing the aircraft to go overboard. Both aviators safely ejected and were rescued by a helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 11,” the defense official said. “The aviators were evaluated by medical personnel and assessed to have minor injuries. No flight deck personnel were injured.”
CNN first reported the aircraft loss late Tuesday.
It’s unclear if the arresting wire that stops the aircraft during the carrier landing failed or if the hook on the fighter didn’t catch the wire. It’s also unclear whether the incident fouled the flight deck, interrupting flight operations. As of Tuesday evening, Truman was fully operational, the defense official said.
Truman and the embarked Carrier Air Wing One have been deployed from Norfolk since Sept. 23 and were recently extended by a week. The failed landing follows last week’s loss of a single-seat Super Hornet, assigned to the “Knighthawks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136, that fell off an aircraft elevator into the sea following an evasive maneuver by Truman from a suspected Houthi attack, USNI News reported last week.
In December, the Red Rippers lost another another Super Hornetin during a friendly fire incident involving a missile from USS Gettysburg (CG-64).
Since March 15, Carrier Air Wing 1, flying from Truman, has conducted ongoing strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen as part of Operation Rough Rider. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would stop strikes against the Houthis, USNI News reported.
The carrier has been operating in the Red Sea since late February after emergency repairs following a collision with a merchant vessel. The collision resulted in the removal of Truman’s then-commander.
