On Monday, an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet crashed off board the USS Harry S Truman. The aircraft carrier was reportedly avoiding missiles fired at it by Yemen’s Houthi rebel forces when it was attacked. US forces are deeply involved in operations against the Houthis in the Red Sea area. This led to the incident happening.
The accident occurred while attempting to place the F/A-18 on the carriers’ deck. The vehicle that was towing the jet veered out of control. As a result, the aircraft and tow tractor both fell into the water. Our sailors, witnesses recounted, United States and sailors had to jump for their lives as the plane crashed to earth.
F/A-18E was operationally towed in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft and caused. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” a Navy spokesperson said.
In order to avoid an unintentional collision during the heightening tensions, the USS Harry S Truman started performing zigzag maneuvers. This technique is what allows aircraft carriers to effectively outrun missile fire. These kinds of moves when executed sometimes roll the ship onto its side. In so doing, this listing possibly helped foster the conditions that caused this death.
This incident is the second loss of an F/A-18 fighter jet in as many six-month periods. At the time, the jet was operating off of the USS Harry S Truman. In late 2022, another F/A-18 was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg, underscoring ongoing operational challenges faced by US forces in the area.
At the moment, the USS Harry S Truman is one of two US aircraft carriers deployed in the region. US military operations against the Houthis are becoming nearly daily occurrences. They are employing an impressive combination of fighter jets, bombers, ships, and drones that have the operational tempo set to high.
An investigation was launched soon after the incident, on Tuesday, to figure out exactly what happened that caused the train to derail. The Navy is committed to making sure that safety protocols are reinforced so that this type of tragedy never happens again.