Virginia, United States: Two US Navy aviators ejected from a two-seat aircraft during an attempted recovery aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the coast of Virginia on 28 September 2026, while four shipboard personnel were injured in the mishap, according to the US Navy.
The incident occurred at approximately 6:18 p.m. EDT during aircraft recovery operations aboard the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). The two aviators were assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3 and were safely recovered by search-and-rescue personnel after ejecting from the aircraft. The Navy said both were returned to the carrier and were undergoing medical evaluation. The service has not reported injuries to either aviator.
The four injured personnel were shipboard sailors who were receiving medical treatment following the mishap. One sailor was transported to a hospital in the Norfolk, Virginia, area for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The Navy has not disclosed the nature of the injuries suffered by the four personnel or explained exactly how they were injured.
In a statement the Navy said, “a mishap occurred during aircraft recovery operations aboard” USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off Virginia. The service added that both aviators were safely returned to the ship and that four shipboard personnel were injured.
The aircraft involved was a two-seat aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3, but the Navy has not identified its model. The Navy’s two-seat carrier aircraft include the F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, while the service also operates the two-seat T-45 Goshawk trainer. However, there is currently no official confirmation that the aircraft involved was any of those types.
The available information also does not establish where the aircraft had been operating immediately before the recovery attempt. The Navy has only confirmed that the mishap occurred during aircraft recovery operations, indicating that the aircraft was in the process of returning to the carrier. The service has not disclosed what happened to the aircraft after the two aviators ejected.
The cause of the mishap remains undisclosed. The Navy has not provided details on whether the aircraft experienced a mechanical problem, a landing or arresting-gear issue, a flight-deck incident or another failure. It has also not said whether the aircraft was damaged or lost.
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower had been operating in the Atlantic as part of carrier qualification activity. US Navy records show the carrier was conducting carrier qualifications in August and September, including operations supporting East Coast fleet replacement squadrons. The carrier had also completed a major repair period earlier in 2026 before returning to sea.
The latest information therefore confirms six people affected by the incident: two aviators aboard the aircraft who ejected and were recovered, and four shipboard personnel who were injured. One of the four injured sailors required hospital treatment, while the Navy has described that person’s injuries as non-life-threatening.
The Navy has not yet released the aircraft type, the identities of the aviators or injured sailors, the aircraft’s final condition, or the cause and precise sequence of the mishap.
