Second U.S. Fighter Jet Lost Over Red Sea in a Week

A U.S. F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed into the Red Sea after a landing mishap aboard the USS Harry S. Truman, marking the second such incident in just one week, according to multiple American defense officials cited anonymously by CNN on May 6.

The aircraft reportedly went down due to an arresting gear malfunction during a carrier landing attempt. The pilot and weapons officer ejected safely, were rescued by helicopter, and sustained only minor injuries, according to sources speaking with Reuters.

Military news outlet War Zone later confirmed the incident, citing U.S. defense officials who said the jet belonged to Strike Fighter Squadron 11 (VFA-11). Four sources also said that the Iranian-backed Houthi movement launched an attack on the Truman the same day, though it remains unclear whether the two events were connected.

Neither the Pentagon nor U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees military operations in the Middle East, commented on the reports. The Houthis have yet to respond publicly.

If confirmed, this would be the second F/A-18 lost from the Harry S. Truman in a week. On April 30, an F/A-18E and its tow vehicle plunged into the sea after a mishap in the aircraft hangar. U.S. officials said the carrier had made an abrupt maneuver to evade a suspected Houthi missile strike.

Each F/A-18 jet is valued at roughly $60–70 million.

Since November 2023, Houthi forces have repeatedly targeted U.S. warships in the Red Sea as part of a broader campaign against international shipping lanes. In early 2024, a U.S. destroyer was forced to use its Phalanx close-in weapon system (CIWS) to intercept a Houthi cruise missile just seconds before impact.

In a separate friendly-fire incident in December 2024, the USS Gettysburg, a cruiser assigned to the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, accidentally shot down an allied F/A-18F during a live-fire drill.

The Truman also sustained damage in February after a collision with a commercial vessel near Egypt in the Mediterranean, leading to the dismissal of its commanding officer, Capt. Dave Snowden.

The new crash comes just days after President Donald Trump declared the Houthi rebels had “surrendered” and agreed to halt their attacks in the Red Sea, prompting Washington to pause its airstrikes on Yemen.

(Sources: CNN, Reuters, War Zone)

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