An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet plunged into the Red Sea on Tuesday after an arrestment system failure aboard the USS Harry S. Truman, forcing the pilot and weapons systems officer to eject, according to U.S. defense officials. The crew members were rescued by helicopter and sustained only minor injuries. It marked the second such incident in just over a week involving the same aircraft carrier, which has been central to U.S. operations against Yemen's Houthi rebels.
The mishap occurred during a routine carrier landing, when the aircraft's arrestment-an essential hook-and-wire system used to stop jets landing on the flight deck-malfunctioned. "The arrestment failed," said one defense official, who requested anonymity to discuss details not yet publicly disclosed. The cause remains under investigation.
The F/A-18, which costs over $60 million, has not been recovered. CNN first reported the incident, which comes amid escalating risks in the Red Sea corridor, where the Houthis have launched persistent attacks on international shipping since late 2023.
Tuesday's crash followed an earlier loss of another Super Hornet from the Truman in April. In that case, the jet reportedly slid off the hangar deck as the ship made a sharp evasive maneuver to avoid incoming Houthi fire. Both crew members in that incident also escaped with minor injuries.
The string of operational failures aboard the Norfolk-based carrier adds to mounting scrutiny over the ship's deployment. In December, the USS Gettysburg, a guided-missile cruiser in the Truman strike group, mistakenly shot down a U.S. F/A-18. Then in February, the Truman collided with a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt. Following that, Captain Dave Snowden was relieved of duty and replaced by Captain Christopher Hill.
U.S. military officials have not publicly linked Tuesday's crash to renewed hostilities in the region, but sources told CNN the Houthis "took a shot" at the Truman around the same time, despite President Donald Trump having announced an apparent ceasefire earlier in the day. The Houthis have not acknowledged such an agreement.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday destroyed large portions of Yemen's rebel-held Sanaa International Airport, including its terminal and runway, according to Khaled al-Shaif, head of the airport. He told the Houthi-run al-Masirah network that at least six aircraft were damaged and estimated the total cost of destruction at $500 million. The airport is now out of service.
From November 2023 through January 2025, the Houthis carried out more than 100 missile and drone attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea, sinking two and killing four sailors. The group declared a temporary ceasefire before the U.S. launched a broad assault in March, but violence has resumed sporadically.
