An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the "Black Knights" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 154 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt on Friday, June 12, 2020. The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. (Zachary Wheeler/U.S. Navy)
WASHINGTON — Two naval aviators assigned to the carrier wing on the USS Theodore Roosevelt had to eject from their aircraft Thursday over the Philippine Sea, according to a Navy statement.
The aviators were flying an F/A-18F Super Hornet during routine pilot-proficiency training when the incident happened, according to a statement from the Roosevelt. The statement did not say to which unit the aviators were assigned, however U.S. Naval Institute News reported the “Black Knights” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 154 from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif., is the only unit in the carrier wing on the ship to fly the F/A-18F aircraft.
The aviators were picked up by a helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8 from the Roosevelt. They were assessed by medical personnel aboard the aircraft carrier and are in good condition, according to the statement.
The incident is being investigated, according to the Navy.
The Roosevelt returned to its deployment in the Indo-Pacific region on June 4 after being sidelined in Guam due to an outbreak of the coronavirus among its crew. Of the nearly 4,800-member crew, 1,273 were infected by the virus and one sailor died.
