A U.S. Navy $60 million fighter jet was lost to the Red Sea for the second time in eight days, five sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to CNN on Tuesday (May 6).
The F/A-18 Super Hornet jet launched from the USS Harry S. Truman was reported to have experienced some kind of arrestment failure while attempting to land on the aircraft carrier, at which point the pilot and weapons system officer ejected. Both individuals were reportedly rescued by a helicopter after suffering minor injuries, one source confirmed to CNN.
The jet crashed into the Red Sea and wasn't recovered at the time of publication, two sources confirmed. The incident took place eight days after another F/A-18 jet fell overboard the USS Harry S. Truman, which was reported to be caused when the carrier made a hard turn to avoid an attack by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group on April 28.
The Houthi rebel group was also reported to have taken "a shot" at the USS Harry S. Truman on Tuesday, despite President Donald Trump announcing an apparent ceasefire with the group hours prior to the alleged incident. It wasn't immediately determined whether the latest fighter jet loss was related to the Houthi attack.