Seven sailors were injured on Monday after an F-35 jet suffered a landing mishap on the deck of an aircraft carrier in the South China SeaChina Sea, the United States Navy said.
The US Pacific Fleet said in a statement released on Monday that the pilot of the fighter jet was safely ejected from the aircraft and recovered via a U.S. military helicopter.
It was not immediately clear whether or not they were one of the seven injured in the incident, but the Navy said they were in stable condition as of Monday.
It is not known what exact injuries were sustained by the sailors aboard the USS Carl Vinson who were hurt in the crash landing.
Three sailors required medical evacuation to a medical treatment facility in Manila, Philippines, and were assessed as being in stable condition, according to the Navy. The other four were treated by on-board medical personnel.
The incident occurred while a F-35 C Lightning II warplane was conducting routine flight operations in the South China SeaChina Sea, the Navy said. The cause of the inflight mishap is still under investigation, it added.
The USS Carl Vinson deployed from San Diego last August after a $367 million retrofit allowing it to accommodate the F-35 C Lightning II, one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world, reported NBC San Diego at the time.
The first time a carrier strike group deployed with capabilities compatible with the CMV-22 B Osprey aircraft was marked by the voyage.