Navy recovers F/A-18 that fell into Mediterranean during heavy weather
An F/A-18 fighter jet that was blown off the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman into the Mediterranean Sea during bad weather last month has been recovered, the Navy announced Monday.
The more than 32,000-pound F/A-18E Super Hornet, which costs roughly $50 million, was recovered from a depth of 9,500 feet, according to a Navy statement.
A team of U.S. 6th Fleet, Task Force 68, Naval Strike Wing Atlantic and Naval Sea Systems Command retrieved the aircraft last Wednesday using a remote-operated vehicle that placed a special line on the jet.
A crane lifting hook attached to a ship was then lowered to the seafloor and connected to the rigging, allowing it to lift the aircraft to the surface and hoist it onboard.
The last time the Navy used such a method was in March when it recovered an F-35C fighter jet that fell into the South China Sea in January after it crashed on the USS Carl Vinson.
The Navy recovered the F/A-18 27 days after it was swept off the deck of the Truman on July 8 as the ship was conducting a resupply mission in unexpected heavy weather.
The incident is highly unusual as the Navy has methods in place to withstand heavy weather and prevent such mishaps, including chaining down aircraft.
It was not clear if such methods were used at the time of the accident, and the service did not release the exact location where the jet was lost or recovered.
The aircraft was delivered to an unnamed, nearby military installation to be prepared for transport to the United States, according to the Navy.
An investigation into how the aircraft was first lost has been launched.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
