October 1, 2026
A number of crew members of the US aircraft carrier “Eisenhower” were injured, and two pilots were forced to jump from their plane off the coast of Virginia, in an accident whose causes are still under official investigation.
The accident occurred on the evening of September 28 during an aircraft recovery operation on board the carrier, which led to the two pilots, who belong to the ship’s air wing, being thrown out of their plane. Search and rescue teams succeeded in quickly recovering them and returning them to the carrier to undergo a medical evaluation.
The accident resulted in the injury of four members of the ship’s crew, one of whom was transferred to a hospital in the Norfolk area to receive treatment, where his injury was described as not life-threatening.
According to the US Naval Institute, the accident occurred during early alert operations of the carrier “Eisenhower”, which had completed its last maintenance period in July, and was seen last Monday afternoon leaving the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia.
The authorities have not yet revealed why the pilots had to eject, or the type of aircraft involved, noting that the US Navy operates two types of two-seat aircraft on board its carriers, namely the F/A-18F Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.
The concerned authorities are continuing investigations to determine the exact circumstances that led to the accident.
