Two U.S. Navy aviators ejected from their aircraft during landing operations on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the coast of Virginia on Monday evening. The Navy described the event as a "mishap" that occurred during aircraft recovery operations. Four sailors aboard the aircraft carrier were also injured during the incident.
The two aviators, who are assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3, were rescued by search and rescue teams and returned to the ship for medical evaluation. Among the four shipboard sailors injured, one was transported to a hospital in the Norfolk, Virginia, area for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The Navy stated that carrier crews regularly train for such emergencies, which allowed for a quick response.
Official statements did not identify the specific model of the two-seater plane involved, nor did they clarify what happened to the aircraft after the ejection. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class vessel commissioned in 1977, is one of the oldest active aircraft carriers in the U.S. fleet. Data from the U.S. Naval Institute’s news service indicates the vessel has been deployed more frequently than any other U.S. carrier over the last five years. It typically operates with a crew of approximately 5,000 personnel.
The ship recently led U.S. responses to Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. No specific dates for the release of investigation findings or the return of the hospitalized sailor have been scheduled as of Tuesday, September 29, 2026.