2 US airmen eject while plane lands on aircraft carrier off Virginia, 4 sailors injured, Navy says

Washington — Two U.S. Navy aviators were ejected Monday evening while landing on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the coast of Virginia and four sailors aboard the ship were injured in what the Navy called an “accident.”

The two airmen, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3, successfully ejected following “an accident during aircraft recovery operations” and were “quickly” rescued by search and rescue personnel, the Navy said in a brief statement.

Both were returned to the ship and were being evaluated by medical personnel, the Navy said. All four personnel on board were also receiving medical treatment, including one who was transported to a Norfolk, Virginia, area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The Navy did not say what type of two-seater plane was involved in the crash, what happened to the plane or what might have caused the crash. The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for additional details.

“Aircraft carrier crews regularly train for emergencies and unexpected situations during flight operations, and this training allowed the crew to respond quickly and safely,” the Navy said.

The nuclear-powered Nimitz-class USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was commissioned in 1977.