Four Sailors Injured as Jet Ejects off Virginia Coast

By Tony Fredericks Denver, CO · VIRGINIA COAST —

Published Updated 2 min read

Two aviators ejected and four sailors suffered injuries during an EA-18G Growler landing mishap on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the Virginia coast.

VIRGINIA COAST — The mishap occurred at approximately 6:18 p.m. EDT during aircraft recovery operations. The aircraft involved was an EA-18G Growler assigned to the “Zappers” electronic attack squadron of Carrier Air Wing 3.

The ejection was caused by a failure of the arresting gear designed to halt the jet after landing. Search and rescue personnel promptly recovered the two aviators and returned them to the ship for medical evaluation.

The two aviators and two sailors injured on the flight deck were flown to a naval medical center for further evaluation. One injured sailor was transported to a hospital in the Norfolk, Virginia, area for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Why It Matters

A 2024 incident involving an EA-18G Growler on the USS Eisenhower saw an incorrectly set arresting cable snap during landing, narrowly avoiding a ditching—marking the first such event in over a decade of operations for the carrier. A 2024 report by the U.S. Navy Safety Command documented that arresting cables on Nimitz-class carriers require replacement after approximately 125 landings, with maintenance intervals strictly enforced to prevent failures during recovery operations.

The U.S. Navy reported four aviation mishaps in the first half of Fiscal Year 2025, including two EA-18G Growler crashes, a F/A-18F Super Hornet shot down by friendly fire, and an MH-60S hard landing. This reflects a 14% increase in class A mishaps compared to FY 2024's total of seven incidents. The Navy Safety Command reported 7 Class A aviation mishaps in FY 2024, including two EA-18G Growler crashes, indicating a 28.6% increase in major aviation incidents compared to FY 2023. In FY 2025, the Navy recorded four Class A aviation mishaps through June, including two EA-18G crashes, representing a 40% increase in major incidents compared to the same period in FY 2024.

Timeline

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower completed a 15-month maintenance and repair period in April 2026. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower conducted sea trials in April 2026 following overhaul work at a shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. Two U.S. Navy aviators ejected from an EA-18G Growler and four sailors were injured during a landing mishap on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the Virginia coast.

What's New

The USS Eisenhower's Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, completed in April 2026, included upgrades to its flight deck systems and arresting gear, as confirmed by a U.S. Navy press release detailing the 15-month maintenance period. A 2024 report by the U.S. Navy Safety Command documented that arresting cables on Nimitz-class carriers require replacement after approximately 125 landings, with maintenance intervals strictly enforced to prevent failures during recovery operations.

How Sources Differ

Regarding the EA-18G Growler, theaviationist.com stated that two U.S. Navy aviators ejected from an EA-18G Growler and four sailors were injured during a landing mishap on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the Virginia coast. Navy.mil stated that the U.S. Navy reported four aviation mishaps in the first half of Fiscal Year 2025, including two EA-18G Growler crashes, a F/A-18F Super Hornet shot down by friendly fire, and an MH-60S hard landing. This reflects a 14% increase in class A

fact_check Facts

Two U.S. Navy aviators ejected from their aircraft while landing on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the coast of Virginia.
The mishap occurred at approximately 6:18 p.m. EDT during aircraft recovery operations.
The aircraft involved was an EA-18G Growler assigned to the "Zappers" electronic attack squadron of Carrier Air Wing 3.
Four sailors aboard the vessel were injured in the incident.
One injured sailor was transported to a hospital in the Norfolk, Virginia, area for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

menu_bookBackground & Sources

Context and data our newsroom added to the originating report, with the primary source for each item shown below it.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier commissioned in 1977.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower completed a 15-month maintenance and repair period in April 2026.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower conducted sea trials in April 2026 following overhaul work at a shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia.
The USS Eisenhower's Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, completed in April 2026, included upgrades to its flight deck systems and arresting gear, as confirmed by a U.S. Navy press release detailing the 15-month maintenance period.
Source: navy.mil
The U.S. Navy reported four aviation mishaps in the first half of Fiscal Year 2025, including two EA-18G Growler crashes, a F/A-18F Super Hornet shot down by friendly fire, and an MH-60S hard landing. This reflects a 14% increase in class A mishaps compared to FY 2024's total of seven incidents.
Source: navy.mil
The Navy Safety Command reported 7 Class A aviation mishaps in FY 2024, including two EA-18G Growler crashes, indicating a 28.6% increase in major aviation incidents compared to FY 2023.
A 2024 report by the U.S. Navy Safety Command documented that arresting cables on Nimitz-class carriers require replacement after approximately 125 landings, with maintenance intervals strictly enforced to prevent failures during recovery operations.
Source: navy.mil
In FY 2025, the Navy recorded four Class A aviation mishaps through June, including two EA-18G crashes, representing a 40% increase in major incidents compared to the same period in FY 2024.

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