© Petty Officer 2nd Class Logan McguireAn F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136, launches from the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman.
A U.S. official told Task & Purpose that initial reports indicate the mishap occurred as the Truman was making a hard turn amid a Houthi attack. No information about the nature of the threat was immediately available.
Both the Truman and a second aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson, are deployed to the Red Sea as part of ongoing operations against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Since March 15, U.S. forces have attacked more than 800 Houthi targets.
"The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft," the news release says. "The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard."
Sailors on the Truman were able to get out of the aircraft's way before it fell overboard. The incident is under investigation.
The Super Hornet is assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 136.
This is the second time in just over four months that an aircraft from the Truman has been lost. On Dec. 22, the cruiser USS Gettysburg accidentally shot down an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier.
Update: 4/28/2025; This article was updated after publication with a statement from a U.S. official.
Comment: Did the Super Hornet really just spill off of the carrier? Even the Defense Department is skeptical: A more plausible explanation is that it was taken out by the Houthis but the US is too embarrassed to admit it.