Two aviators safe after ejecting from jet on USS Eisenhower

Two US Naval aviators escaped injury after ejecting from their jet during flight recovery operations aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, off the Virginia coast Monday evening, the US Navy said. The incident unfolded at roughly 6:18 pm local time (2218GMT) while the carrier was conducting aircraft recovery operations. Both aviators, attached to Carrier Air Wing 3, punched out of their aircraft and were quickly picked up by search-and-rescue crews.

Aviators returned to ship for medical checks

The Navy said both fliers were brought back aboard the carrier and were being evaluated by medical staff. "Both aviators were safely returned to the ship and are being evaluated by medical personnel," the service said in a statement. The quick recovery kept the crew out of the water for only a short period, a standard outcome for well-drilled carrier rescue teams operating in the Atlantic training range off the US East Coast.

Four crew members injured in the incident

The mishap also left four additional shipboard personnel hurt, and all were receiving medical treatment. One sailor was being taken to a hospital in the Norfolk area for care of non-life-threatening injuries. Norfolk, home to Naval Station Norfolk and the world's largest naval base, sits on the Chesapeake Bay in southeastern Virginia and serves as a key hub for the US Atlantic Fleet, which handles carrier operations and air wing training along the eastern seaboard.