An F/A-18 jet fails to land on the USS Truman and crashes into the Red Sea

As strain increases in the unstable maritime corridor, a US Navy fighter crashed into the Red Sea after a poor landing.

According to a defense official on Wednesday, an F/A-18 fighter jet that was landing on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea went overboard, causing its two pilots to evacuate.

The event on Tuesday is the most recent setback to tarnish the Truman’s deployment, which has been crucial to the US airstrike operation against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Although the rebels would not immediately confirm it, US President Donald Trump and Oman’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that a truce had been established with the Houthis, who would no longer target ships in the Red Sea corridor.

After Israeli airstrikes during the day attacked Yemen’s rebel-held capital of Sanaa, the Houthis are still evaluating the damage.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the event that is still being investigated publicly, stated that although “the arrestment failed,” the F/A-18 Super Hornet did land on the Truman following a trip.

The hook system that airplanes utilize to snag steel wire ropes on the flight deck when they land on carriers is referred to as “arrestment.” What aspect of the system malfunctioned is still unknown.

The officer stated that the event caused minor injuries to the two pilots on board, who were later rescued by a helicopter. There were no injuries on the flight deck.

The Navy lost an F/A-18, which cost roughly $60 million, in the most recent incident on Tuesday. Another F/A-18 fighter jet went into the Red Sea in April after slipping off the Truman’s hangar deck. Both crew men on the tiny towing tractor and in the pilot’s seat of the Super Hornet sprang to safety.

The USS Gettysburg, a guided-missile cruiser, accidentally shot down an F/A-18 in December after ships had previously shot down several Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile that the rebels had launched. In that occasion, both aviators also made it out alive.

In what the group’s leadership has called an attempt to halt Israel’s offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have been conducting frequent drone and missile attacks against military and commercial vessels in the area.

The Houthis used drones and missiles to target around 100 merchant vessels between November 2023 and January 2025, sinking two of them and killing four crew. As a result, the Red Sea corridor, which normally sees $1 trillion worth of commodities pass through it each year, has seen a significant decline in trade.

Before the US started a massive offensive against the rebels in mid-March, the Houthis halted their attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire.