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Harrowing footage of a cable snapping during aircraft carrier landing [video]

Posted by / July 10, 2016

Very fortunately, no one was killed during this mishap. A cable snapped during a landing on the USS Eisenhower––the plane almost crashed into the ocean, and several sailors were injured by the cable, but no one died.

Full story at YouTube.

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  • ralph alexandre

  • this is a wonderfull pilot, he land and take off very quick.

  • grant northrop

    That is exactly why the angled flight deck is used and full power is applied at touchdown in case the cable snaps. Great result, a result of excellent U.S. Navy pilots.

  • calif blonde3

    Good pilot skills…. they must practice this kind of emergency once a month!!! Glad no one was killed…

  • Anthony Palmere

    Just enough height and airspeed to get her up!
    Pretty awesome. I wonder what the wind speed was. Maybe in a no wind situation, enough airspeed might not have been achieved to get airborne.
    Kudo’s to the pilot!

  • Looked kind like the heavily loaded B-52s taking off from Guam. There is a 400 foot cliff at the end of the runway, and sometimes the aircraft would disappear briefly, only to reappear as it climbed laboriously with heavy load of fuel, and bombs. Took some getting used to.

  • That’s exactly why they go full throttle into the wires.
    The hook can bounce, they can over shot or they do break once in awhile.

  • That’s exactly why they go full throttle into the wires.
    The hook can bounce, they can over shoot, and the cables do break once in awhile!!!
    Excellent job saving her!!

  • This is why you full throttle as though you were taking off when you snag the wire.

  • MY HAT IS OFF TO THE PILOTS.

  • Alan Guinn

    That’s why they always go to full throttle as soon as they hit the deck. Good thing it was an E-2; Very few other planes onboard a carrier could have recovered from that.

  • Mkio

    No deaths, but a snapping cable like that can take legs off or cut someone in two. I hope the injured sailors aren’t too badly hurt.

  • Pilot to bridge….request postponing of mission brief and advise orderlies to bring me a change of underwear & a roll of toilet paper to my stateroom…jejejejee

  • That is why they hit the throttle on landing. It happens, and it isn’t a big deal unless there was negligence. They are supposed to replace those cables after “X” number of landings. Was that cable within specs or was it made in China?

  • Pilot to bridge…..Request postponing of mission brief and advise orderlies to brin change of underwear & a roll of toilet paper to my stateroom…..copy?

  • David Huff

    They always gun the engines as they’re hitting the wire, just in case. I was a squadron flight deck troubleshooter on the Connie when a EA-6B took a three wire. Problem was is that the wire set for a smaller A-6. Plane took the wire right off the end of the deck. I was working on a F-18 on the crotch (near the angle) and watched as all four crewman punched out. the first three, no problem, but the plane had it’s nose pointed almost strait down when the pilots seat went off. The first three crewmen walked off the helo, the pilot was carried off on a stretcher, his spine so damaged it ended his career. Capitan had the chief, and a couple of senior enlisteds from the wire room flown off the ship the next day. I did four cruises on the flight deck, and never felt relaxed anywhere on the deck during landing operations. Even if you’re not watching it, just the load squeal of the wire is enough to make you flinch, every time.

  • Excellent recovery

  • I would fly with that guy any day…

  • D

    Amazing flying by the pilot. Way to go. Sending prayers to those hurt by the broken cable.

  • Joel Leek

    Wow! The training, procedures, and pilot skill helped avert a crash. Seeing the plane emerge from behind the carrier deck was an awesome sight. All pilots landing on carriers apply full throttle at the moment of touchdown to facilitate a go-around should the tail-hook miss the arresting cable–or the cable breaks!

  • CPTCHUCK

    I am willing to bet that the air crew had to change clothes after that failure to trap.

  • sam mcgraw

    great flying there

  • Joe

    Good job, however I have to wonder if he was a bit slow adding power. Normally, as soon as you hit the deck you add full power. Should not have gone below the level of the ship’s deck if done correctly.

  • Maybe some sailor lost an arm or leg but that’s ok as long as he didn’t die. I hate the press. A holes.

  • E-2C hawkeyes have better engines now a days if thats still an old engine it won’t make it.

  • good thing they upgrade the engines of E-2C hawkeyes. it has a better thrust now a days.

  • LB3

    Everyone is commenting on the pilot and not the guy on the deck running for his life. That cable could have cut him in half.

  • steve

    Nice recovery from a skilled pilot. WTG

  • That’s the lucky thing about this being a prop situation, they spool up faster that jets when throttles are fire-walled.

  • Touch and take off is practiced in early stages of flight school even for a single, daylight pilots license.

  • Shane

    and that is why they train constantly ……

  • Kenneth Bowers

    Did exactly what he was trained to do.. Right by the book.. no almost crash.. perfect!

  • Whew….Betcha the guys on board had to change their shorts after finally landing….

  • Rodney

    The E-2C has no ejection seats. The pilot probably faced a stark choice: recover or die. I was on the USS Theodore Roosevelt when an EA-6B snapped an arresting gear cable in December, 1990, in route to Desert Storm. As the plane was about to tumble off the edge of the flight deck, the aircrew punched out and survived. In 1993, when one of our E-2C’s crashed in the Ionian Sea (not related to arresting gear failure), the entire five-man aircrew died. Fortunately, this pilot was able to recover so he and his aircrew can go home to their families.

  • Richard

    Outstanding, Best military in the world at Work

  • I’ve been there when the cable snapped. Two fatalities on deck, but the pilot escaped and went around. David Huff could probably tell you some horror stories about life on a carrier deck. The pilot in this case probably did all he could do, there isn’t a lot of umph in your radar planes

  • Dave Beverage

    Nimitz 1980-81. Never saw it happen, but was always worried it could or would. Things told when arriving for duty on a flight deck. If you live for the first minute you may finish the cruise lol.

  • A AIR CRAFT CARRIER LANDING? AIR CRAAFT CARRIERS ARE SHIPS! AM I THE ONLY ONE CATCHING THAT >LOL

  • Bill

    very nice job there all involved save money $$$$ and more important LIVES…..

  • Sluff

    Not PILOTS. NAVAL AVIATORS!!! A pilot navigates a ship into port.

  • We have the BEST Aviators! Don’t let any tell you different. And we don’t pay these people enough.

  • daniel shaffer

    A fine example of what it takes to become a Pilot in the U. S. Military. Marine, Navy, Air Force and Army Pilots are the finest in the World. Training and paying attention to every detail is what makes the difference between good and great. My son’s in the Military would complain to me about all the training they did until the came back from over seas. Then they were appreciative of the attention to detail that it took to become good at there jobs. Thanking them for there Service seems like a small gesture, but acknowledging them in this way is a sign of respect.

  • daniel shaffer

    My apologizes to the Aviators I stated were pilots. You are correct. Still the Best in the World.

  • my 21 yrs airdale naval career is mainly squadrons and carries and best thing is , don’t hung around the flight deck nor expose yourself unless needed at topside , if you don’t have business st the deck then stay clear , this is a very lucky mishap compared to what happen on one carrier after i rotated to shore duty , a canopy came flying slicing a sailor into half on the flight deck , This is how dangerous at topside , for those young ones STAY CLEAR DURING FLIGHT OPS

  • Bet the pilot had to change his shorts after he landed, great skill and luck

  • MoreInfoNeeded

    Awesome recovery. I wonder how close to the water they got…

  • OUUUUUUSTAAAAANDING job! Kudos to one SIERRA HOTEL AVIATOR

  • Joe S

    To the guy who was wondering about the windspeed, it was 28kts when he touched the deck. It’s right there on the video, below the 69 (as in CVN-69).

  • The pilot of the E-2C made a remarkable recovery from an aborted landing. Arresting cables do break. A aircraft carrier deck failed landing is a harrowing thing to see when it happens. Fortunately this pilot knew what to do in this circumstance. It goes to show you that Navy pilots have nerves of steel. Go Navy!

  • God bless our service men and women, My daughter was on here way up to the flight deck when this happenend some of her shipmates were some of the ones hurt they were watching one of there planes land the one that had the cable snap on them. I pray everyday for her and all who serve.”GO NAVY”

  • Clint

    That is another reason for only essential personnel be on the flight deck during recovery operations. Thank God for angle decks. Ata boy pilot.

  • Great Flying………Go Navy..USN CPO Bob RETIRED

  • WEB23

    You don’t quit flying the aircraft until all motion stops and you your feet are wet.

  • Troy

    Do notice the deck was pitching down (as in closer to the water) when the aircraft went over. Deck was oscillating back up after it went over.

    Touch down, full throttle, feel tug, waiting for full stop, LOTS OF BLUE!!!! gogogogogogogogogooooooo!!!!!!

    Wonder how hard he was pushing those throttles and rocking back and forth to make it go faster?

  • Now that’s a pilot. whooo!!!

  • God bless all american pilots

  • “Very fortunately…” . There are spell-checks, unfortuantely, there are no grammar-checks. Go back to school.

  • do you want a safety briefing.. because this is how you get a safety briefing