Two US Navy aviators ejected from a two-seat aircraft during landing operations on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the coast of Virginia, while four sailors aboard the carrier were injured.
The incident took place on Monday evening as the aircraft was being recovered. The aviators, who are assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3, were rescued promptly by search and rescue personnel, the Navy said.
Both were returned to the nuclear-powered carrier and assessed by medical staff. The four injured sailors were also treated, with one taken to a hospital in the Norfolk area for non-life-threatening injuries.
The Navy has not identified the type of aircraft involved, nor said what happened to it or what caused the incident. It described the event as a “mishap”.
“Carrier crews regularly train for emergencies and unexpected situations during flight operations, and that training enabled the crew to respond quickly and safely,” the Navy said.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, was commissioned in 1977.
