F/A-18E fighter jet lost at sea after falling overboard from USS Harry S. Truman

A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter plane has been "lost" at sea after falling overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier while being hauled on board, according to a Navy statement released Monday.

According to a US official, initial accounts from the area indicate that the Truman made a tight turn to avoid Houthi fire, causing the fighter plane to tumble overboard. The Houthi rebel group claimed on Monday that it conducted a drone and missile strike on the aircraft carrier, which is currently in the Red Sea as part of the US military's massive anti-Houthi campaign.

An individual F/A-18 fighter plane costs more than $60 million, according to the Navy, and was being pulled out of a hangar Monday on the USS Harry S. Truman when the tractor towing it lost control.

The Navy reports that both the aircraft and the tractor crashed overboard.

The pilot and the Navy sailor driving the tractor were able to jump free, with just one incurring minor injuries.

“The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” the statement said. “Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard.  An investigation is underway.”

The Truman Carrier Strike Group is presently stationed in the Middle East and was in the Red Sea during the incident. The Navy stated on Monday that the strike group and its air wing "remain fully mission capable."

The USS Truman aircraft carrier group has faced persistent threats from the Iran-backed Houthi terror organization in Yemen. It made news in February when it crashed with a merchant ship in Egypt, although no casualties were recorded. Another Truman F/A-18 was "mistakenly fired" upon and shot down by the USS Gettysburg in the Red Sea in December; both pilots bailed safely.

It is stationed in the Red Sea to safeguard commercial shipping in the region, which has been repeatedly assaulted by the Houthis.