For the second time in less than two weeks, another F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to the USS Harry S. Truman has plunged into the Red Sea, compounding a series of high-profile setbacks for the U.S. Navy’s embattled carrier group.
According to a CNN report, the latest mishap appears to stem from a failed arrestment—the crucial cable-assisted stop during carrier landings—resulting in the $60 million aircraft careening off the deck. Fortunately, both the pilot and the weapons systems officer ejected safely and were retrieved by a rescue helicopter. They sustained only minor injuries and are in stable condition.
The aircraft remains unrecovered at sea, and a formal investigation is underway to uncover the precise cause of the crash.
The incident comes on the heels of alleged Houthi hostility, as the Iran-backed rebels reportedly “took a shot” at the Truman just hours after President Donald Trump publicly declared a tentative ceasefire with the group. While officials have not directly linked the crash to the attempted strike, the Office of the Secretary of Defense has redirected inquiries to the Navy and CENTCOM, both of which have yet to issue formal statements.
This is now the second F/A-18 loss from the Truman’s decks in quick succession. The previous accident occurred when a jet made a sharp evasive maneuver to dodge incoming Houthi missiles, ultimately tipping off the edge of the carrier into the sea.
The Truman’s deployment has been fraught with complications. In December, a fellow U.S. warship, the USS Gettysburg, mistakenly shot down a Truman-based jet. In February, the carrier collided with a merchant vessel off Egypt’s coast in the Mediterranean.
These repeated stumbles culminated in the dismissal of Captain Dave Snowden, replaced by Captain Christopher Hill.
U.S. naval forces operating in the Red Sea have been navigating perilous waters since late 2023, as the Houthi militia continues targeting military and commercial vessels, escalating tensions in one of the world’s most volatile maritime corridors.