Hornet Overboard! Carrier USS Harry S. Truman Loses FA-18 in Mishap

A Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet was blown overboard and off the Norfolk-based carrier USS Harry S. Truman flight deck on July 8, 2022, “due to unexpected heavy weather in the Mediterranean Sea,” according to a press release by the US Navy.

When the incident happened, the Navy said the carrier was “conducting a replenishment-at-sea,” where another unspecified ship was refueling it in the Mediterranean Sea. However, it was not specified exactly where it was, but previous reports said the ship was in the Ionian Sea. When the incident happened, they said that the refueling was “safely terminated through established procedures.”

The F/A-18 Super Hornet was assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. The USS Truman was a Nimitz-class carrier part of the US Sixth Fleet.

180918-N-EA818-0374 NORTH ATLANTIC (Sept. 18, 2018) An F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 launched from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the North Atlantic, Sept. 18, 2018. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the US 6th Fleet area of operations, demonstrating a commitment to regional allies and partners, combat power, and the flexibility of US naval forces to operate wherever and whenever the nation requires. (DVIDS/U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Thomas Gooley/Released)

All personnel aboard the Truman were accounted for except one sailor with minor injuries. He was conducting operations during the unexpectedly heavy weather. He was said to be in stable condition and expected to recover fully. However, the sailor’s injury was unrelated to the F/A-18 Super Hornet going overboard.

Public Affairs Officer for US Naval Forces Europe-Africa, Cmdr Richlyn Ivey, said no personnel was in the immediate vicinity when the Super Hornet was blown off the deck. There was also no one on board the plane. She also stated that the Navy was still reviewing its options on whether to recover the aircraft.

There was no mention of whether there will be a replacement fighter for the one that went overboard if the Super Hornet could not be recovered. Depending on the model and configuration, Super Hornets could cost around $30 million to $60 million. Still, the Sixth Fleet says the carrier and its embarked aircraft remain “full mission capable.”

The Navy is still investigating the incident, and no other details have been released. It remains unclear how the aircraft got blown overboard when fighters are usually secured on deck with chains.