Washington :Two US officials reported that an American F-18 fighter jet was lost in the Red Sea after veering off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, marking the second such incident in about a week.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the aircraft failed to come to a proper stop after landing, causing it to plunge into the sea. One of the officials confirmed that the pilots ejected before the incident and were rescued by a dedicated helicopter. Medical checks showed they sustained minor injuries. No flight deck personnel were injured.
Each aircraft costs around $60 million, and such incidents are rare, raising questions about safety procedures and operations on board the carrier.
The repeated incidents within a short period are expected to prompt thorough investigations into the carrier’s operations to prevent similar losses.
