F-18 fighter jet: US Navy loses £60m Super Hornet jet after it fell off aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman into Red Sea

The F/A-18E Super Hornet fell off the hangar deck of the USS Harry S. Truman as sailors towed the aircraft into the hangar bay, according to the Navy. The crew then lost control of the aircraft, which resulted in the fighter jet and tow tractor falling into the Red Sea.

The incident happened on April 28 in the Middle East, the U.S. Navy said. Sailors towing the fighter jet "took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft" before it fell off the hangar deck, the Navy said in a statement. All personnel were accounted for, and one sailor sustained a minor injury.

It was not immediately clear what may have caused crew members to lose control of the aircraft. The Navy said it has launched an investigation into the incident.

The fighter jet was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 136. An F/A-18 fighter jet can cost about $60 million, according to the Naval Air Systems Command.

The incident occurred while the Truman Carrier Strike Group was deployed in the Middle East. The aircraft carrier has been operating in the region for months and has been aiding strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen.

U.S. officials told several news outlets that initial reports from the scene suggest that the aircraft carrier veered to avoid fire from Houthis, according to ABC News, CNN, Politico, and Reuters. A U.S. official told Reuters that initial reports were that the Truman made a hard turn because of a Houthi attack in the vicinity.

But it was unclear if the movement caused the fighter jet to fall overboard. Officials noted that initial reports remained unconfirmed and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing, ABC News reported.