US Navy Fighter Jet Lost at Sea After Accident on USS Harry S. Truman

The Navy reported that the F/A-18E was being towed in the carrier’s hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the jet.

U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets multirole fighters on board USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) aircraft carrier as it sails in the South China Sea on its way to Singapore on Oct. 16, 2019. Catherine Lai/AFP via Getty Images

An F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136 was lost overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) while the aircraft carrier was in the Red Sea on April 28, the U.S. Navy announced.

The accident also resulted in the loss of a tow tractor but all personnel were accounted for, with only one sailor sustaining a minor injury, according to the statement from the Navy.

The Navy reported that the F/A-18E was being towed in the carrier’s hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the jet. The jet and the tow tractor both went overboard. Sailors involved in the towing immediately moved clear of the jet before it fell into the sea. The Navy has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Despite the loss of the jet and tow tractor, the Navy said that the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and its air wing remain fully mission capable.

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is composed of the flagship USS Harry S. Truman, the nine squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 1, three guided-missile destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron 28, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64).

Earlier this year, the USS Harry S. Truman and its air wing, along with the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), arrived at U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay for a working port visit on Feb. 6 after two months of combat in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

During their deployment, the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group supported multiple self-defense strikes against targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, contributing to U.S. Central Command’s efforts to weaken threats to regional partners and the free flow of commerce.

The strike group also conducted airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia in support of U.S. Africa Command and in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.

“The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group remains the most adaptable and lethal presence in theater,” said Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of the strike group, in a February statement. The port visit to Souda Bay was used for maintenance and upkeep for the ships and aircraft, as well as a chance for sailors to experience the local culture, the Navy said.

The strike group’s deployment has included stops in Oslo, Norway, and Marseille, France, in addition to Souda Bay.

The mission of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is to conduct quick and sustained combat operations at sea and maintain a forward presence through sea control and power projection capabilities, according to the Navy.

From NTD News