The Flyby: The Curse of the USS Truman
It's not Britney, bitches, but she has done it again...
Last Tuesday, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 was accidentally dumped overboard into the Red Sea after what we suspect was a bolter of some sort (meaning the hook didn’t properly engage and arrest the jet into the arresting gear).
As Harry Potter would say, “Hang on…”
If you clicked the above link to the Wasington Post article you would have noticed the word “another” and other peculiar words like “fourth major mishap in months” also in the title.
And then you’d probably remember hearing about a ship getting stuck in the Suez canal, another one shooting down its own fighter jet, and yet another dumping a jet off its side during a turn.
“Wow, that’s a lot of mishaps for one nation’s Navy. At least it didn’t all happen to one ship.”
Except it did. It has. It das.
Yes, all four of these events have happened to the same sad little nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier just trying to mind her own business in the Red Sea.
To recap:
Dec 22, 2024 – An F/A-18F from USS Truman was accidentally shot down by the cruiser USS Gettysburg in a friendly fire incident over the Red Sea.
Feb 12, 2025 – The Truman collided with a Panamanian merchant vessel near Port Said, causing hull damage but no injuries.
Apr 28, 2025 – An F/A-18E being towed on deck slid overboard during evasive maneuvers to avoid a Houthi missile and drone attack.
May 6, 2025 – A Super Hornet was lost into the Red Sea after a failed landing attempt; both aviators safely ejected.
That’s four major events in less than six months. The only link? CVN-75: the USS Harry S. Truman. Thankfully, only minor injuries to sailors have been reported from any of these disasters.
I’m not here to cast aspersions or make memes (although there are plenty of good ones all over social media). However, I am here to point out one simple fact everyone seems to be ignoring: there will be a new Disney movie coming out soon and I cannot wait to see it.
