10 Sailors Injured In Ship Fire Onboard the USS John C. Stennis

On Wednesday ten sailors were injured onboard a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier when the engine of a fighter jet exploded and caught fire.

The USS John C. Stennis was in waters off the coast of southern California when an F/A-18C Hornet fighter jet  “suffered a catastrophic engine failure and subsequently caught fire,” the said in a statement Wednesday.

The ten sailors were working on the flight deck at the time of the incident. Four were flown to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego; they are reportedly in stable condition. The pilot of the fighter jet was no injured.

The ship’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Paul Storum commended the sailors onboard for their quick and professional response to the incident. The fire was extinguished quickly and the ship suffered only minor damage. Cmdr. Storum also told reporters that the Hornet sustained at least $1 million worth of damage.

The aircraft carrier was participating in fleet replacement squadron carrier qualifications at the time of the incident.  The Navy says they will conduct an investigation into the cause of the engine failure.