USS Eisenhower resumes flight operations after accident

Naval official says an aircraft mishap team was on board to investigate Friday's accident

WASHINGTON: The USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier resumed flights of fixed-wing aircraft on Sunday, two days after a flight accident that injured eight sailors who were working on the ship's flight deck, a Navy spokesperson said.

Three sailors remain hospitalised at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, while a fourth is at Portsmouth Naval Medical Centre, also in Virginia, said US Navy Commander Mike Kafka, spokesperson for Naval Air Force Atlantic.

All four are in stable condition and some may be released soon, he said.

Kafka said an aircraft mishap team was on board to investigate Friday's accident, which occurred off the coast of Virginia when one of the ship's arresting gear cables snapped during the attempted landing of an E2-C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft.

The USS Eisenhower has now resumed a large training exercise ahead of a scheduled deployment to the Middle East this summer.