An F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the “Gladiators” of Strike Fighter Squadron 106 (VFA-106) makes an arrested landing aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2006. US Navy Photo
Two sailors suffered injuries late Tuesday night following a fire that broke out on the flight deck of carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), Navy officials told USNI News on Wednesday morning.
Shortly before midnight a parked Boeing F/A-18C Hornet caught fire forward of the carrier’s island during refueling, according to a statement from Naval Air Force Atlantic (AIRLANT)
The pilot of the fighter — assigned to the Strike Fighter Squadron 106 “Gladiators” (VFA-106) — ejected from the aircraft and landed on the flight deck.
After being treated for “non-life threating” injuries onboard , the pilot was transported to a hospital in Wilmington, N.C. for further treatment. A second sailor was also transported to the hospital for treatment.
Truman has been operating off the coast of North Carolina conducting Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) carrier qualifications for the last several days, AIRLANT spokesman Mike Maus told USNI News.
“Regular flight operations can involve launching 2-3 aircraft at a time with 1-2 hours between launches. Pilots would then fly their missions for several hours before returning to the ship. Fleet Replacement Squadron CQ, on the other hand, is a 12-hour continuous flight evolution demanding more from the crew and pilots,” read a Navy description of FRS carrier qualifications from 2014.
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) transits the Atlantic Ocean on June 15, 2015. US Navy Photo
After the sailors were transported for additional care, the carrier resumed its planned operational schedule, USNI News understands.
The Navy is now conducting an investigation into the specific cause of the crash and has not yet determined if the Hornet is salvageable after the fire, Maus said.
Truman is based at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. and returned from a Middle East deployment last year.
The following is the complete Aug 12, 2015 AIRLANT statement on the Hornet fire on Truman.
August 12, 2015
Release 014-15
TWO SAILORS INJURED FROM AIRCRAFT FIRE ON BOARD USS HARRY S. TRUMAN
An F/A-18C “Hornet” from Strike Fighter Squadron One Zero Six (VFA-106), the “Gladiators,” caught fire on the flight deck of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) last night while parked forward of the island during refueling. The fire was immediately extinguished by the ship’s flight deck firefighting team.
The pilot of the aircraft ejected and landed on the flight deck. The pilot received medical treatment by the ship’s medical department before being transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, N.C. for further treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
A Sailor assigned to the ship also sustained non-life threatening injuries from the incident and was also transported to the same location for treatment.
An investigation to determine the cause of the mishap has begun.
USS Harry S. Truman is underway off the coast of Virginia conducting carrier flight operations.
