--- title: "USS Carl Vinson Was Back To Flight Operations Just 45 Minutes After An F-35 Crashed Into Its Deck" description: "New details emerge about the immediate aftermath of the F-35C crash aboard the USS Carl Vinson." date: "2022-02-16" modified: "2022-02-17" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/44321/navy-describes-aftermath-of-carrier-crash-that-sent-an-f-35c-to-the-bottom-of-the-sea" categories: - "Air" - "Around The Globe" - "Carriers" - "F-35" - "Fighters" - "Indo-Pacific" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "Nimitz Class" - "Sea" - "South China Sea" - "U.S. Navy" - "USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)" tags: - "aircraft accidents" - "Battle damage" - "carrier air wing" - "carrier aviation" - "Crash" - "CVN-70" - "CVW" - "F-35C" - "F/A-18E/F" - "Joint Strike Fighter" - "Lightning II" - "Mishap" - "Response" - "USS Carl Vinson" --- # USS Carl Vinson Was Back To Flight Operations Just 45 Minutes After An F-35 Crashed Into Its Deck ![]() *www.twz.com* The U.S. Navy has revealed new details of the [high-profile landing mishap]() involving the loss of an [F-35C]() from the *Nimitz* class carrier USS *Carl Vinson* (CVN-70) in the [South China Sea]() on January 24. This was followed by the leak of a photo and then [two different]() videos [of the incident](), which threatened to overshadow the first operational cruise of the carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. As the Navy continues to look into how the imagery of the mishap jet was leaked from the carrier during its cruise, officials confirmed that the incident, despite its dramatic appearance, and the injuries to seven crew, only resulted in a 45-minute holdup for flying operations. ***Closed-circuit camera system footage of the F-35C crash aboard USS*** ****Carl Vinson:**** https://youtube.com/embed/-JP4s715ZfY As first reported by [*USNI News*]() and also by *Defense News's* Megan Eckstein, a [defense official explained]() that other aircraft were airborne at the time of the mishap, adding urgency to the response. After smashing into the end of the landing area, the F-35C tore out all four arresting wires and left debris scattered across the deck, including fouling the catapult tracks. https://youtube.com/embed/dgfnTli9b54 The injured pilot of the mishap jet was picked up by the carrier’s plane guard helicopter, which touched down on an elevator to avoid the clean-up effort taking place on the flight deck. https://twitter.com/_/status/1486696533001129987 The first requirement was to get the deck ready to launch an [F/A-18E/F Super Hornet]() configured as a tanker so that it could refuel the aircraft still in the air if required. In the meantime, an undisclosed number of aircraft that were still aloft were diverted toward the carrier [USS *Abraham Lincoln*]() (CVN-72). It’s not immediately clear if the aircraft landed on that carrier, or just met with its own tankers, but they were topped up with fuel. ![message-editor%2F1645031488272-220122-n-pq495-1384.jpg]() *The Carl Vinson and Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Groups began dual-carrier operations in the South China Sea on January 23, 2022., *U.S. Navy** Meanwhile, on the *Vinson*, the deck crew conducted four or five foreign object debris walk-downs to check for debris and damage, and the four arresting wires were replaced. “Within 30 to 45 minutes, we were ready to receive aircraft,” the official said. While the injuries to sailors and the loss of the F-35 were extremely regrettable, it sounds like the mishap provided a valuable stress test to see how well crews respond to real damage on the flight deck. Battle damage and how quickly it can be mitigated to keep a ship operational is [becoming a major concern for the Navy]() as the possibility of a peer state conflict is on the rise. Regardless, it sounds like the USS *Carl Vinson's* crew did an absolutely outstanding job, one that ensured a bad incident didn't become even worse. *Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()