US Navy sailors carry out a replenishment-at-sea aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (written as “IKE” on the aircraft carrier’s control tower) in August 2026. Four sailors were recently injured during an attempted landing aboard the carrier; it remains unclear how severe the mishap was. (US Navy/Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Miguel Santiago)
Four Sailors Hurt Aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in Training Mishap
Much remains unknown about the incident on Monday evening, including the identities of the pilots and ground crew, the type of aircraft involved, and the severity of the injuries.
There has been another aviation mishap aboard a United States Navy aircraft carrier this week, during a training sortie while the flattop was underway. The second Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), is now preparing for its next deployment; it was conducting training exercises off the coast of Virginia when four personnel were injured following a landing mishap on Monday evening.
“At approximately 6:18 p.m. EDT on Sept. 28, a mishap occurred during aircraft recovery operations aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) off the coast of Virginia. Two Naval aviators assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 subsequently ejected from their aircraft and were promptly recovered by search-and-rescue personnel,” the US Navy said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Both aviators were rescued and are being evaluated by shipboard medical personnel.
“Four shipboard personnel were also injured during the mishap and are receiving medical care. One Sailor is being transported to a Norfolk-area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries,” the Navy said. It added that the cause of the accident remains under investigation.
We Don’t Yet Know What US Navy Plane Was Involved
The United States Navy has not disclosed what type of aircraft was involved in the mishap, or how severe it was. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is host to Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3), the “Battle Axe,” which currently operates the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler fixed-wing aircraft. Both the F/A-18F and EA-18G are twin-seat aircraft.
The US Navy also operates the two-seat T-45 Goshawk trainer, which was specifically designed for aircraft carrier landing training, including field carrier landing practice and arrested carrier landings. Unlike most land-based training jets, the Goshawk was developed with reinforced nose gear for steam catapult launches and an arresting hook to snag the deck wires. Student naval aviators fly the T-45 to perform actual takeoffs and landings from the US Navy’s carriers at sea as a mandatory part of their training pipeline.
Ship watchers spotted the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is based out of Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, departing from port on Monday afternoon. The supercarrier completed its Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) in April, and spent the summer undergoing final repairs and preparation for its next deployment.
It is unclear if Monday’s mishap will impact the timeline for CVN-69’s deployment.
During the recent maintenance period, the second oldest operational US Navy aircraft carrier received several upgrades, including the installation of advanced combat systems. Among the systems are the integration of the Ship Self-Defense System with AN/SPQ-9B radar tracking, SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare suites, and new MK-29 ESSM/Rolling Airframe missile launchers.
The Eisenhower Is Getting Ready for a Long Time at Sea
As each US Navy carrier is spending more and more time at sea, creature comforts are becoming more important to maintaining morale. During the PIA, the Navy improved crew facilities on board the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. That included a major update to the ship’s Library Multimedia Resource Center, the space that serves as a shipboard library and media room.
The update is significant. When the Navy first commissioned CVN-69 in October 1977, the crew had little more than a small library with some books and magazines. The concept of the LMRC has steadily evolved, and the newest center now features traditional book collections, computers with Internet access, and digital learning stations. The facility was designed to support both the professional education and the recreational downtime of the crew.
The updates were made as the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower will remain in service a bit longer than expected.
Previous plans had called for the carrier’s inactivation as early as next year, but due to delays with the third Gerald R. Ford-class flattop, the future USS Enterprise (CVN-80), CVN-69 will likely remain in service at least until 2031.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author at Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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