Aviation News – Four shipboard personnel sustained injuries and two aviators safely ejected following a landing mishap involving an EA-18G Growler aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) off the coast of Virginia on Monday evening. Emergency response teams quickly retrieved both aircrew members from the water and provided immediate medical attention to injured crew members on the flight deck.
The incident occurred at approximately 6:18 p.m. EDT on September 28 during routine aircraft recovery operations in the Atlantic Ocean. The EA-18G Growler, attached to the “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, was attempting to land on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier when the mishap forced both pilots to activate their ejection seats. Navy emergency crews safely recovered both aviators and returned them to the vessel, where medical teams immediately evaluated their condition.
Four additional crew members stationed on the flight deck sustained injuries during the sequence of events. Three sailors received treatment directly aboard the ship, while military medical personnel transferred one sailor to a Norfolk-area hospital for specialized care; authorities confirmed the injuries are non-life-threatening. Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, based out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, operates as part of the carrier’s embarked air wing during active oceanic operations.
Carrier landing operations demand precise coordination between the aircraft’s arresting hook and the carrier’s steel arresting cables to rapidly decelerate high-speed jets on a short flight deck. When unexpected mechanical or procedural issues disrupt this process, pilots rely on automated ejection systems to clear the aircraft safely while flight deck personnel manage immediate hazard containment.
“At approximately 6:18 p.m. EDT on Sept. 28, a mishap involving an E/A-18G Growler, attached to the ‘Zappers’ of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, occurred during aircraft recovery operations aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the coast of Virginia,” the U.S. Navy said in an official statement provided to USNI News. “Both aviators were safely returned to the ship and are being evaluated by medical personnel. Four shipboard personnel were also injured during the mishap and are receiving medical care.”
The U.S. Navy will initiate a formal investigation to determine the root cause of the landing mishap and evaluate current flight deck recovery safety protocols. Naval safety officers periodically review such operational incidents to enhance equipment reliability, refine training procedures, and mitigate future risks during high-tempo carrier operations.
