On Monday night (September 28), two US Navy pilots ejected from their aircraft while landing on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, an aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia. The incident also resulted in injuries to four sailors on board. The Navy has classified the event as an “accident.”
In a brief statement, the Navy revealed that the two pilots, assigned to the Carrier Air Wing 3, successfully ejected during the landing operation of the carrier-based aircraft.
The Navy stated that both pilots were successfully recovered by rescue personnel and received medical evaluations on board. The four injured personnel on the carrier are currently receiving medical care, with one individual being transported to a hospital in the Norfolk area of Virginia for treatment, but their injuries are not life-threatening.
The Navy did not disclose the specific model of the two-seater aircraft involved in the incident, nor did they provide details on the current condition of the aircraft or the possible causes of the accident. All four injured sailors were on board the carrier at the time of the incident.
“Carrier crew members undergo training for potential emergencies and unexpected situations that may occur during flight operations, enabling them to respond quickly and safely,” the Navy stated in their announcement.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that was commissioned in 1977.