An American sailor sustained minor injuries Monday when a $60 million fighter jet toppled off an aircraft carrier and sank into the Red Sea, reportedly during a Houthi strike.
The accident occurred as the $60 million Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet was being hauled from a hangar on the USS Harry S. Truman when the carrier suddenly shifted, sending the hauling vehicle and jet overboard.
The carrier had suddenly made a hard turn to avoid fire during an attack by Houthi rebels, a Navy official told CNN.
The Houthi rebel group claimed Monday to have launched a drone and missile attack on the aircraft carrier, which is stationed in the Red Sea as part of a U.S. military operation against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
All personnel were accounted for after the accident, and a single sailor sustained a minor injury, according to the Navy. The jet is reportedly lost for good.
“The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” said a statement from the Navy. “Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”
The Navy emphasized that its own strike group remains “fully mission capable.”
The Truman has repeatedly been targeted in attacks by the Houthis.
Another F/A-18 from the Truman was also “mistakenly fired” upon and shot down by the USS Gettysburg in the Red Sea in December; both pilots ejected safely.
Donald Trump, who presented himself as a would-be peace president during his campaign, has been stepping up attacks on the Houthi rebels.
The first major controversy entangling his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth involved detailed strike plans against the Houthis in Yemen that Hegseth shared in a Signal group chat, a communication system not approved by the Pentagon for sensitive military information. The editor of the Atlantic was inadvertently included in the chat.
