A $66.9 million U.S. Navy fighter jet sank into the Red Sea after rolling off the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman during operations, the Navy confirmed on Monday.
The single-seat F/A-18E Super Hornet “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,” the Navy said in a published statement. “Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”
The pilot jumped out of the plane before it rolled off the carrier and sustained only minor injuries. No one else was hurt in the incident.
The mishap took place while the aircraft carrier was conducting flight operations in the volatile Red Sea, a critical maritime route where U.S. forces have been intercepting Houthi attacks on shipping vessels. At the time of the incident, the Truman was conducting an “evasive maneuver,” the Navy said.
This is not the first time the Truman has lost a fighter jet overboard. In July 2022, a similar aircraft was blown overboard by unexpected heavy winds off the coast of Naples, Italy. In December 2024, another Super Hornet aircraft was shot down by “friendly fire” over the Red Sea, Fox News reported.
