U.S. Navy loses US$60 million jet at sea after it fell overboard from aircraft carrier

This April 1 photo from the US Navy shows a F/A-18E Super Hornet preparing for launch on the USS Harry S. Truman. US Navy via CNN Newsource

A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet has been “lost” at sea after it fell overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier while it was being towed on board, the Navy said in a statement on Monday.

A U.S. official said that initial reports from the scene indicated that the Truman made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet falling overboard. The Houthi rebel group claimed on Monday to have launched a drone and missile attack on the aircraft carrier, which is in the Red Sea as part of the U.S. military’s major anti-Houthi operation.

All personnel are accounted for, and one sailor sustained a minor injury.

“The F/A-18E 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 statement said. “Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”

A second U.S. official told CNN that the aircraft had sunk. An individual F/A-18 fighter jet costs more than US$60 million, according to the Navy.

The Truman Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed in the Middle East and was in the Red Sea at the time of the incident. The Navy emphasized on Monday that the strike group and its air wing “remain fully mission capable.”

The Truman has repeatedly been targeted in attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. It made headlines in February when it collided with a merchant ship near Egypt; no injuries were reported. Another F/A-18 from the Truman was also “mistakenly fired” upon and shot down by the USS Gettysburg in the Red Sea in December ; both pilots ejected safely.