DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet crashed into the Red Sea after a mishap during landing on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. The incident, which occurred Tuesday, forced its two pilots to eject from the aircraft. A defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the landing system failed, prompting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
This latest mishap adds to a string of accidents involving Navy fighter jets aboard the Truman, which plays a pivotal role in the U.S. military’s air operations against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. President Donald Trump and Oman’s foreign minister both announced a ceasefire agreement with the Houthis on Tuesday, indicating that the group would cease attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. However, the Houthis have not publicly confirmed this development.
Following the crash, a helicopter successfully rescued the pilots, who sustained only minor injuries, while no injuries were reported on the carrier’s flight deck. The F/A-18 jet, valued at approximately $60 million, is the latest in a series of incidents that have seen Navy jets lost under various circumstances. Earlier this year, another F/A-18 slipped off the Truman’s hangar deck and fell into the Red Sea, and in a separate event, the USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 following an engagement with Houthi drones.
The USS Truman, home-ported in Norfolk, Virginia, has had its deployment extended multiple times as tensions persist in the region. The carrier was recently joined by the USS Carl Vinson, which is operational in the Arabian Sea, amplifying U.S. naval presence.
Compounding the situation in Yemen, Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday targeted Sanaa International Airport, heavily damaging the facility. Khaled al-Shaif, the airport director, reported that the strike obliterated the terminal and left significant damage to the runway, impacting several passenger aircraft, including planes from Yemenia Airways—the nation’s flagship carrier. With only one operational aircraft remaining, the airport is now rendered non-functional, incurring damages estimated at around $500 million.
Houthi forces have been actively targeting maritime vessels, a move they claim is an attempt to respond to Israeli actions against Hamas in Gaza. Reports indicate that from November 2023 to January 2025, they launched over 100 attacks against merchant vessels, resulting in the sinking of two ships and the loss of four sailors’ lives. These aggressive operations have disrupted trade flow, which typically amounts to $1 trillion annually through the Red Sea corridor.
While the Houthis briefly halted their assaults following a self-imposed ceasefire, the status of the conflict hangs in the balance as the recently announced ceasefire negotiations unfold against the backdrop of ongoing military campaigns. The international community remains watchful as developments unfold, particularly with the U.S. military’s strategic interests in the region at stake.