Flight operations aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) stopped on Sept. 28, 2026, when an arresting wire failed under a landing EA-18G Growler and the jet went over the edge of the flight deck. Both aviators ejected and were recovered. As of Oct. 3, flight operations were still paused and the Navy said the Nimitz-class carrier was returning to Naval Station Norfolk, Va., so its launch and recovery equipment could be inspected.
The Growler belonged to the “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130. Eisenhower was off the Virginia coast conducting carrier qualifications, the deck landings that certify pilots to operate from the ship, after completing a maintenance period.
USNI News reported the return to port in an Oct. 3, 2026 article by Sam LaGrone, describing the mishap in plain terms: “the arresting wire failed and the aircraft failed to stop and went over the edge.” The report said the ship remained “capable of safely navigating and conducting shipboard operations” and carried the Navy’s statement on the decision:…