A US Navy sailor jumped from the cockpit of an F/A-18 fighter jet just before it fell off an aircraft carrier into the Red Sea on Monday, a defense official confirmed to Business Insider.
The sailor was involved in moving the jet when the incident occurred, the official said.
The Navy revealed earlier this week that an F/A-18E Super Hornet and a tow tractor fell off the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and into the sea after the move crew “lost control” of the fighter aircraft. It didn’t say why the crew lost control of the plane, but it did say a sailor was hurt in the incident.
A US defense official told BI on Wednesday that the sailor, who was lightly injured, bailed out of the F/A-18 cockpit when it became clear the aircraft was going to go overboard.
It’s unclear how much time passed between the sailor leaving the plane and it falling into the water. The defense official explained that it is standard practice for a sailor to be in the jet’s cockpit when the aircraft is being moved in case the crew needs to emergency brake or steer.
In its statement on the incident, the Navy said sailors towing the jet “took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard.” CNN first reported that a sailor was in the cockpit at the time.
The Navy said on Monday that the F/A-18, which is estimated to cost around $60 million, was under tow in the Truman’s hangar bay, an area underneath the flight deck where aircraft receive maintenance, when it fell into the Red Sea.
At the time of the incident, the fighter jet was likely on one of Truman’s four aircraft elevators, which move aircraft between the hangar bay and the flight deck. The Navy said an investigation is underway.
“The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and embarked air wing remain fully mission capable,” the sea service said.
Monday’s incident marks the second time Truman’s air wing has lost an F/A-18 during its Red Sea deployment. In December, guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the strike group, shot down a Super Hornet in what was described at the time as “an apparent case of friendly fire.” The two aviators ejected safely.
The Truman is one of two Navy carriers involved in combat operations against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. The US began an intense bombing campaign against the rebels on March 15 and has hit over 1,000 targets in the weeks since.
The Houthis, meanwhile, continue to attack American ships. Before the Super Hornet incident on Monday, the rebels said they launched missiles and drones at the Truman, forcing the carrier to turn around. Some reports have suggested that the ship made an evasive maneuver that caused the F/A-18 to go overboard. BI, however, could not confirm these reports.
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