Another multimillion-dollar fighter aircraft has plunged into the Red Sea after falling from the USS Harry S. Truman.
A U.S. F-18 fighter jet went overboard on Tuesday after tipping off the flight deck, according to officials.
The dual-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet fromStrike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 detached from the flight deck during an attempted landing at approximately 9:45 p.m. local time and plunged into the ocean, according to sources. NBC News .
The two aviators aboard suffered minor injuries after ejecting from the failed landing, in which the aircraft failed to catch the wire, known as a 'failed arrestment.'
The two crew members ejected from the aircraft prior to it plunging into the water and were subsequently rescued by a helicopter.
Based on initial reports, the tail hook appeared to fail to hook the wire that slows down the aircraft, which continued to accelerate toward the bow and went into the water, sources told the news outlet.
It is the second time in recent days that the airplanes, costing up to $70 million each, have gone missing in the Red Sea.
Last week, another fighter jet crashed into the sea near the Truman, which has been assisting American attacks on Yemen's Houthi fighters .
On April 28, the plane slid off the flight deck of an aircraft carrier operating in the Middle East when crew members were moving it into position inside the hangar bay.
A nimble sailor managed to barely avoid a fighter jet which plunged into the Red Sea mere seconds later.
The unnamed sailor was in the cockpit of an F/A-18 fighter jet when it fell from the hangar deck, according to reports. Business Insider .
Naval authorities had earlier mentioned that the transfer team lost control of the Super Hornet combat aircraft, resulting in an injury to one sailor during the event.
However, a U.S. defense official disclosed that the sailor—who sustained minor injuries—ejected from the cockpit immediately once it was evident that the fighter jet would fall into the sea.
Yet it remains unclear how much time past between the sailor escaping the plane and it falling into the water.
The defense official stated that it is routine practice for a sailor to occupy the jet's cockpit during the movement of the aircraft, so they can activate the emergency brake or navigate if necessary.
Combat aircraft are frequently moved across the hangar deck to position them where required for upcoming flights or various tasks.
It is unclear whether there will be an effort to recover the jet, which was a part of Strike Fighter Squadron 136. The incident remains under investigation.
The USS Truman has been deployed to the Middle East for months and was recently involved in stepped-up military operations against the Yemen-based Houthi rebels .
The U.S. Central Command has stated that the military carries out strikes every day, executed by fighter jets, bombers, naval vessels, and drones.
The deployment of the Truman has already been prolonged once by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for roughly a month.
Last month, American airstrikes targeted the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. slain at least eight individuals, as per the Houthi rebels.
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