$66 Million US Fighter Jet Falls Off Aircraft Carrier

The US Naval Institute reports:

An F/-18E Super Hornet assigned to the carrier air wing embarked aboard aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) was lost at sea during a towing incident in the hangar bay Monday, according to a Navy announcement.

The single-seat Super Hornet assigned to the “Knight Hawks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136, “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,” reads the statement.

“Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.” No personnel were lost and one sailor sustained minor injuries, according to the service.

Since March 15, Carrier Air Wing 1 flying from Truman has been engaged in ongoing strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen as part of Operation Rough Rider, according to U.S. Central Command. The carrier has been operating in the Red Sea since late February after emergency repairs following a collision with a merchant vessel.

Read the full article. F-18s cost $66 million, per Wikipedia.

Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet falls off aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman https://t.co/3RT8kckBeS

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