Two Navy aviators ejected from their aircraft Monday evening while attempting to land on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the Virginia coast, in an incident the Navy is calling a “mishap” that left four sailors injured.
The injured sailors were aboard the carrier when the accident occurred. One of them is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a hospital in the Norfolk area, according to the Navy.
The two aviators, both assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3, were recovered by search and rescue crews and returned safely to the ship. Both are now being evaluated by medical personnel.
The Navy has not disclosed what type of two-seat aircraft was involved, nor has it said what went wrong during the landing attempt or what ultimately happened to the plane. The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that has been in service since 1977.
Part of a Pattern of Recent Ejections
Monday’s incident adds to a string of recent military aviation mishaps requiring pilots to eject. In May, four Navy crew members ejected safely after two EA-18G Growlers, each valued at roughly $67 million, collided during an aerial demonstration at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. Both aircraft were destroyed.
Former TOPGUN pilot Matthew “Whiz” Buckley told Fox News Digital last month that ejecting from a high-speed aircraft can cause lasting harm even when pilots survive, describing colleagues who suffered spinal injuries severe enough to leave them permanently shorter.
“When you pull that handle, you have two choices: die or maybe live. And I said ‘maybe live’ because it’s incredibly violent,” Buckley said. “Most folks don’t even remember the ejection. They remember pulling the handle and then waking up in their parachute.”
