A sailor was killed Monday afternoon in a mishap on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush, Navy officials said Tuesday.
The incident occurred at 4:45 p.m. while the carrier was at sea. No other sailors were hurt and the cause of the mishap remains under investigation.
Pilots assigned to the Bush were conducting carrier flight qualifications at the time of the mishap, said Cmdr. Dave Hecht, a spokesman for Naval Air Force Atlantic. The flight qualifications, which involve pilots taking off and landing, were suspended following the sailor's death, he added.
It's not immediately clear whether an aircraft was directly involved in the mishap. Hecht declined to comment on the type of aircraft being flown.
The Navy is withholding the sailor's name for 24 hours after the family is notified, according to a news release.
"We ask for your patience and understanding as the crew grieves the loss of one of their shipmates," the release states.
The Bush completed storm-weather preparations last week before Hurricane Florence hit the East Coast. The carrier left Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, ahead of the storm on Sept. 10 and has not yet returned to its homeport.
-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins.
