Two U.S. Navy aviators were forced to eject from their aircraft Monday evening while landing off the coast of Virginia, and four sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower were injured in the incident, according to the U.S. military.
The Navy described the incident as a “mishap” that unfolded at approximately 6:18 p.m. EDT while the carrier was conducting aircraft recovery operations.
According to a statement released by the Navy, the two aviators, both assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3, ejected from the aircraft and were recovered by search-and-rescue personnel.
“Both aviators were safely returned to the ship and are being evaluated by medical personnel,” Navy officials said.
The aviators were not the only ones affected. Four individuals on board the carrier were injured during the incident, according to the Navy. One of those sailors was transported to a hospital in the Norfolk, Virginia, area to be treated for what the branch described as “non-life-threatening injuries.”
In all, the Monday evening mishap sent two aviators out of their aircraft and left four people aboard the carrier injured, with one sailor requiring treatment at a hospital.
The Eisenhower is no ordinary vessel. The Nimitz-class carrier serves as the flagship for the Navy’s Carrier Strike Group 2, which is led by Rear Adm. P. Scott Miller.
The five-star carrier is built to handle a broad range of missions. Its capabilities include maritime security, expeditionary power projection, forward naval presence, crisis response and sea control.
The warship is named for former President Eisenhower, and its home port is in Norfolk. The Eisenhower was commissioned in 1977, making it only the second boat in the Nimitz class.
The carrier also brings a long record of service to the table. Over the years, the Eisenhower has deployed in support of U.S. military efforts in the Gulf War, as well as in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The incident comes as another Nimitz-class carrier is on the move. The USS Theodore Roosevelt departed San Diego on Sunday, headed to the Middle East to relieve the USS George Washington.
The Roosevelt’s departure comes as the U.S. war with Iran grinds on. The conflict hit the seven-month mark on Monday, and there has been no public sign of a deal that would bring the hostilities to an end.
President Trump addressed the war on Monday, reiterating his firm position that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the president also said that gas prices will decline once the conflict ends.
“I went to war to stop … one of the worst things that could happen to the world,” Trump told reporters.
