8 American Sailors On Aircraft Carrier Injured As Landing Cable Snaps

— -- Eight sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower were injured Friday when a landing cable on the flight deck snapped as a plane touched down. The sailors are in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries and have been medevaced to shore.

The incident occurred at 2 p.m. Friday about 80 miles east of Virginia where it was conducting a training exercise for a future deployment.

"Eight Sailors aboard the Norfolk, Va. based aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) were injured this afternoon when an arresting gear parted during a routine landing by an E-2C Hawkeye aircraft," said a statement from Naval Air Force Atlantic. "There were no fatalities and the Sailors are listed in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries."

"The injured Sailors were working on the flight deck at the time of the mishap." The Hawkeye aircraft regained flight and later landed ashore at Norfolk Naval Station Chambers Field. There were no injuries to the crew of the aircraft and no damage to the aircraft.

A Navy official says six of the injured sailors have been transported to Norfolk Sentara General Hospital for treatment, two others were transferred to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth.

The carrier is off the Virginia coast conducting carrier qualifications for Composite Training Unit and Joint Task Force Exercises (COMPTUEX/JTFEX) in preparation for their upcoming deployment.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause.

A Navy official says the cable that broke was one of four on the deck used to stop the landings of aircraft on the flight deck. According to the official all flight operations aboard the carrier have been suspended as a precaution.

All aircraft that were flying at the time of the accident were diverted to shore, and no takeoffs are being allowed for aircraft still on the deck.

The official said it is "extremely rare" for a landing cable aboard a carrier to "part".

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of Friday's accident.