A US fighter jet rolled off the side of an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea on Monday, sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The incident occurred when the $70 million F/A-18E was being towed out of a hangar bay when the crew lost control. Two crew members were on board, one inside the tractor and the other alongside the jet.
Both personnel managed to jump out in time, with only one sustaining a minor injury. An investigation is underway to determine what caused the incident. The USS Harry S. Truman, which was deployed to the region to protect commercial ships from Houthi rebels in Yemen, was involved in the mishap.
It is unclear what contributed to the crew’s loss of control, but initial reports suggest that a sudden movement of the carrier due to Houthi fire might have been a factor. The incident marks the second major accident involving the Truman carrier this year, following a collision with a merchant ship near the Suez Canal.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-fighter-jet-rolls-off-aircraft-carrier-sinks/story?id=121245662