An incident involving an F/A-18 fighter jet landing on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier resulted in the aircraft going overboard, prompting the ejection of its two pilots, a defense source confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The event, which occurred on Tuesday, adds to a series of misfortunes surrounding the Truman’s deployment, which has played a key role in the US airstrike campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In the latest mishap, the fighter jet landed on the Truman after completing a flight, but “the arrestment failed,” according to the anonymous defense official.
The arrestment process involves a hook system on the aircraft that is meant to catch steel cables on the carrier’s flight deck to bring the plane to a stop. The exact reason for the failure of the system is yet to be determined.
The two pilots, who ejected after the incident, were rescued by helicopter and sustained only minor injuries. No personnel on the carrier's flight deck were harmed during the event.
The Truman has faced several high-profile incidents recently. Last month, an F/A-18 slipped off the hangar deck of the carrier and fell into the Red Sea, though the crew on board managed to eject and escape safely.
A similar incident occurred in December when the USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 after a series of successful engagements with Houthi drones and missiles. Fortunately, the aviators involved in these incidents survived as well.
A Pentagon spokesman confirmed that an investigation into Tuesday's incident was underway and emphasized that the aircraft was not hit by Houthi forces. He reassured that "the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group remains fully mission-capable."