Four US Navy sailors injured aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower after landing mishap; Two aviators ejected safely

The US Navy reports that four people were injured on board the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 28 after an accident occurred during aircraft recovery operations. The accident occurred “at approximately 6:18 p.m. EDT on Sept. 28” reported USNI citing the US Navy.

“A mishap occurred during aircraft recovery operations aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) off the coast of Virginia,” reads the statement.

Two aviators from the Carrier Air Wing 3 ejected from the unidentified two-seater plane and were recovered safely on board the carrier. Both of them were under evaluation by medical personnel. Out of the four wounded individuals on board the ship, one sailor was taken to a hospital in the Norfolk area with non-life-threatening injuries.


The Navy termed the incident a “mishap” and did not name the aircraft or explain the circumstances surrounding the ejection. Possible aircraft that could have been used in two-seater missions in carrier air wings include the F/A-18F Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler, along with the Navy’s two-seater T-45 Goshawk trainer. However, there is no confirmation whether one of these was involved in the incident.

The event follows the active participation by Eisenhower in carrier qualification operations. In August, navy images show that Eisenhower participated in carrier qualifications off Virginia, including those involving East Coast Fleet Replacement Squadrons.

Before the current event, earlier in the summer, navy training officials had announced that aviators underwent carrier qualifications on Eisenhower through 428 traps (arrested landings) and 143 touch-and-goes, qualifying 24 aviators through the process carried out between June 27-30. The navy says carrier qualification is a key phase of naval aviation training as pilots need to demonstrate the necessary procedures in launching and recovering aircraft from carriers.