Expensive error sees $70m fighter jet fall into sea after rolling off the side of USS Harry S Truman

The F/A-18E fighter jet plunged into the sea after rolling off of USS Harry S Truman. US Navy announced on Monday that the aircraft descended to the bottom of the Red Sea.

ABC News reports that one enlisted crew member was aboard the jet when the incident took place, with a second being inside the tractor. Officials said both of them were able to jump out in time, with one person suffering minor injuries.

The jet, which costs $70m, was being towed out of USS Harry S Truman’s hanger bay when the crew lost control. “The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” the US Navy said.

“Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”

ABC News said it’s unclear what caused the personnel to lose control of the aircraft aboard the carrier. USS Harry S Truman has been deployed in the Red Sea since last September, charged with protecting merchant from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The American publication reported that a US official said the initial field reports suggest a sudden movement of the carrier due to Houthi fire might have been a factor in the incident. Those reports are unconfirmed, with the investigation still ongoing.

USS Harry S Truman ran into another incident where she crashed into a merchant ship near the Suez Canal. Her Commanding Officer, Captain Dave Snowden, was promptly relieved of his duties. An investigation into the incident was launched.

Houthi militants have been targeting commercial ships, as well as US Navy and Royal Navy vessels. British and American forces recently carried out an air strike on a manufacturing facility, destroying it with Paveway bombs.