Two Navy Aviators Eject During Carrier Landing Off Virginia; Four Sailors Hurt

Two U.S. Navy aviators ejected from their aircraft during landing operations on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the coast of Virginia, a mishap that also left four sailors aboard the carrier injured, the Navy said.

The two aviators, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3, ejected successfully after what the Navy described as a mishap during aircraft recovery operations. Search and rescue personnel recovered them, and they were brought back to the ship for medical evaluation.

Four other sailors were also receiving medical care. One was taken to a hospital in the Norfolk, Virginia, area for treatment of injuries that were not life threatening.

The Navy did not identify the type of two-seater aircraft involved, disclose what happened to the plane, or indicate what may have caused the incident. It said additional information could be released later.

Carrier air wings operate two types of two-seat aircraft — the F/A-18F Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft — along with the T-45 Goshawk, a two-seat jet used for training.

The nuclear-powered Nimitz-class Eisenhower was commissioned in 1977 and recently completed extensive maintenance, repairs and modernization at a shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. It conducted sea trials in April following the overhaul and has been carrying out post-repair checks. Amateur ship spotters observed the vessel leaving Naval Station Norfolk on Monday afternoon.

The Eisenhower has not been involved in the U.S. war against Iran, now in its seventh month. Concerns have nonetheless grown that some sailors are being stretched to their limits during the conflict.

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group spent a record-setting uninterrupted period at sea in support of the war, amid reports of crew stress, poor mental health, and shortages of food and hygiene products. The extended deployment drew national attention and increasing scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers.

As of Monday, the Lincoln was still en route to its home port of San Diego, according to a news release from Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs of California. She and other lawmakers visited the carrier and spoke with sailors and Marines, who Jacobs said described struggles to wash clothes, obtain medicine and health care, and get enough food. Jacobs blamed President Donald Trump for mail delays, supply shortages, low morale and mental health crises in the strike group.

The ejection is the latest in a series of Navy aviation mishaps in recent years, including two Navy jets that collided during an air show in Idaho in May and a fighter jet and a helicopter that crashed into the South China Sea in October. Pentagon data released last year showed a spike in aviation mishaps across the U.S. military in 2024.