- For the second time in eight days, a fighter jet has gone overboard the USS Harry S. Truman, plummeting into the Red Sea
- “Both aviators safely ejected and were rescued by the search and rescue helicopter,” a defense official tells PEOPLE of the most recent incident on Tuesday, May 6
- The same day, the Houthis, a rebel group based in Yemen, “took a shot” at the aircraft carrier, according to a report
A fighter jet failed to land on the USS Harry S. Truman — the second time in eight days that a multi-million dollar Super Hornet has gone overboard the aircraft carrier into the Red Sea.
The F/A-18F Super Hornet was in the process of landing on the flight deck when the “arrestment failed” and the aircraft went overboard on Tuesday, May 6, a defense official confirms with PEOPLE.
“Both aviators safely ejected and were rescued by the search and rescue helicopter attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 11,” the official adds. “The aviators were evaluated by medical personnel and assessed to have minor injuries. No flight deck personnel were injured.”
An official told NBC News that the tail hook did not successfully catch the wire meant to slow the fighter jet down, resulting in the aircraft plummeting into the water. The investigation is ongoing.
The accident came just over a week after another fighter jet plunged into the Red Sea on Monday, April 28. A F/A-18E was being towed in the aircraft carrier’s hangar bay when the crew lost control of the fighter jet, which caused the aircraft and tow tractor to go overboard, according to the U.S. Navy.
“Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard,” the Navy said. One sailor sustained a minor injury, and an investigation is ongoing. The Super Hornet was worth $67 million, NBC News reported.
The same day that the second jet went overboard, the Houthis “took a shot” at the Truman, sources told CNN.
The incident occurred just hours after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would “stop the bombings” against the rebel group in an apparent ceasefire, the outlet reported.
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The incidents are among multiple missteps involving the Truman since it was deployed last September.
The ship has helped ensure the Navy was better equipped to battle the Iran-backed militant group that began attacking international shipping in late 2023, according to The Washington Post.
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