$60 Million Fighter Jet Rolls Off Aircraft Carrier, Sinks To Bottom Of Red Sea
on Apr 28, 2025
The U.S. Navy announced Monday that an F/A-18E fighter jet was lost at sea after falling off the side of an aircraft carrier.
One Navy crew member was injured when an F/A-18E Super Hornet rolled off the side of the USS Harry S. Truman. According to the Navy, the $60 million fighter jet was being towed out of the hangar bay when crew members lost control of it and slid off the carrier’s side.
“The F/A-18E 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,” the Navy wrote in a statement.
“Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”
The incident is being called “an extraordinary mishap attributed to human error.”
The USS Harry S. Truman was deployed to the Middle East in September and has been stationed in the Red Sea.
About the F/A-18E Super Hornet
According to the Navy, the F/A-18E Hornets went into military service in 1999 as a replacement for the F-14 Tomcat. The E is a single-seat aircraft that is “highly capable across the full mission spectrum: air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression and day/night precision strike.”
The U.S. Navy‘s Blue Angels have used the Hornet since 1986. The demonstration squad began transitioning to the upgraded F/A-18 Super Hornet in 2020.
Over the last 30 years, the U.S. Navy has purchased nearly 700 of the planes, with approximately 400 currently in service.
Fans of Top Gun: Maverick will recognize the F/A-18 as the primary aircraft used by the pilots in the film. The single-seat E model and two-seat F model were both featured in the movie.
Learn more about the F/A-18 Super Hornet in the video below.
