The crew of the carrier USS Harry S. Truman lost a strike fighter over the side while repositioning it belowdecks, the Navy confirmed Monday.
Truman is on an extended deployment in the Red Sea, and her crew is running an around-the-clock bombing campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen. They have worked continuously to keep strike sorties moving at a high tempo since March 15, launching and recovering fighters day and night.
On Monday, an F/A-18E Super Hornet of fighter squadron VFA 136 was under tow in the hangar bay, attached to a tow tractor. The crew lost control of the aircraft, and the aircraft and tractor went over the side. The sailors involved in the evolution took cover and got out of the way before it went over, and only one individual sustained a minor injury.
The Truman and her air wing remain fully mission capable, the Navy confirmed. In addition, the Truman Carrier Strike Group is operating alongside sister ship USS Carl Vinson and Vinson’s escorts, forming a powerful dual carrier task force.
One Super Hornet costs about $56 million, or roughly three percent of the cost overrun on carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. An investigation into the cause of the casualty is under way.
Since March 15, the Truman and Vinson strike groups – aided by shore-based elements – have launched 800 separate airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen. The frequency of Houthi counterattacks has declined under the weight of U.S. bombardment of the group’s storehouses, workshops and launch positions.
