On September 9, a sudden fall accident occurred at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a subsidiary of the United States’ largest defense shipbuilding group HII, leaving one worker seriously injured.
At approximately 10:45 AM local time on September 9, a production accident occurred at Newport News Shipbuilding, where a shipyard worker fell from the side of the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier. At the time of the incident, the worker was operating on scaffolding as high as 15.24 meters (50 feet).
The Chief of Newport News Fire Department stated that the shipyard’s fire department requested support from the city fire department at 10:56 AM on the 9th. The city fire team was responsible for airlifting the injured person from the scene via helicopter and transporting them to a hospital for treatment. The injured is currently in critical condition but is reportedly in stable vital condition.
It is reported that the Stennis is the seventh Nimitz-class aircraft carrier built by the United States in the 1990s and was undergoing a mid-life refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding at the time of the incident.
Informed sources revealed that the shipyard worker fell onto a barge adjacent to the Stennis. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
The worker involved in the fall is employed by a naval contractor named Serco, not as a direct employee of Newport News Shipbuilding. Serco provides technical management services for the U.S. Department of Defense.
A representative from Serco stated: “The company is aware of and closely monitoring the incident involving an employee injury at Newport News Shipbuilding. Our primary concern is the well-being of our colleague, and we are working to ensure they receive the necessary medical care. We are also fully cooperating with the relevant agencies in the investigation.”
