A Navy jet's $60 million aircraft carrier landing goes awry in seconds with a bang and sparks

Earlier this year, a $60 million F/A-18 Super Hornet experienced a catastrophic failure while landing on the USS Harry S. Truman, ultimately plunging into the Red Sea. A Navy investigation now reveals how quickly routine landing procedures spiraled out of control.

As the fighter jet descended onto the carrier, a key component of the landing system malfunctioned. The broken part shot across the machinery space, striking equipment a sailor had just vacated, and then ricocheted on the deck in a violent spin. "Something bad just happened," one sailor exclaimed while rushing to assist. Another sailor narrowly avoided serious injury but sustained minor harm, including a torn headset.

The incident was traced to a failure of one of the arresting gear cables, which are essential wires that catch landing jets and decelerate them safely. When the cable broke, the F/A-18 lost stability and veered off course. Unable to recover, the pilots ejected just as the aircraft flew off the deck into the sea.

This chain of events unfolded in mere seconds. The Navy's report, reviewed before public release, underscores how even routine carrier operations can become perilous almost instantly. The May 6 mishap injured two aviators and marked the second Super Hornet loss within days during the Truman's Middle East deployment.

The command investigation revealed that sparks and flames erupted as the aircraft left the deck, with the malfunctioning cable unable to absorb the jet's landing forces. Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, leader of Carrier Strike Group 8, labeled the loss as "entirely preventable."

High-Tempo Operations in the Red Sea

The Truman had been conducting intensive operations against Houthi forces in the Red Sea, launching and recovering aircraft multiple times per day. Nimitz-class carriers like the Truman are equipped with four arresting cables to catch landing jets, but the system relies on precise maintenance and operation.

On the night of May 6, the F/A-18F seemed to land normally until the jet engaged the arresting cable. Sailors reported hearing an explosion and witnessing debris flying through the machinery space, while sparks and flames erupted from the aircraft. Confused by the damage, flight officers initially assumed engine debris ingestion.

The jet began leaning to one side down the landing area. Commands from the landing signal officers came too late to prevent disaster, and the aircraft rolled sharply before plunging into the Red Sea. A "man overboard" call followed within a minute, and the two pilots were rescued by helicopter and swimmers about twenty minutes later, suffering only minor injuries.

Investigating the Critical Failure

The investigation identified several contributing factors: high operational tempo, understaffing, and errors by the arresting gear operator. The primary cause was traced to inadequate maintenance of the sheave damper crosshead and clevis pin. The pin, missing a small washer, eventually failed, causing internal components to collapse and the arresting cable to snap.

Poor training among sailors and incomplete inspections compounded the problem. Vice Adm. John Gumbleton noted that leadership failures allowed maintenance standards to decline, leading to this critical point of failure.

The May 6 event was the fourth major mishap for the Truman and its strike group during the deployment. Previous incidents included a cruiser mistakenly downing an F/A-18, a collision with a commercial vessel, and another aircraft falling overboard during evasive maneuvers.

Author: Connor Blake