A U.S. fighter jet had problems landing on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea on Monday.
The fighter, an F-35C Lightning II assigned to Carrier Air Wing 2, had a mishap after conducting flight operations for the USS Carl Vinson, the Navy said.
“The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft and was recovered via U.S. military helicopter. The pilot is in stable condition,” the Navy said in a statement.
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Seven sailors were injured through the mishap, with three of them requiring medical evacuation to a treatment facility in the Philippines. The other four were treated by onboard medical personnel. The three who were evacuated are in stable condition.
The incident and its causes are under investigation, the Navy said.
Naval crashes are an unfortunate yet common occurrence. A Navy helicopter crashed off the San Diego coast in September while “conducting routine flight operations,” killing five sailors in the process. Investigators later determined that the crash occurred after the helicopter’s main rotor hit the flight deck.
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The submarine USS Connecticut struck a strange object in October, damaging the vessel in the process. The object was determined to be an “uncharted seamount,” and the Navy decided to relieve the vessel’s commander of his post in November.
