
Tiny Prop Plane, Giant Carrier: A Tense Arabian Sea Intercept
A small Piper prop plane, flown by Sam Rutherford and co-pilot Shannon Wong, was buzzed by US Navy F/A-18s over the Arabian Sea near Oman while en route to India. With radio contact initially failing, the carrier’s jets pressed for a 15-degree course change. Rutherford balanced fuel and safety as two fighters circled the single-engine plane for about 30 minutes before easing off once they were clear of the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and the route. The incident underscored ongoing Middle East tensions; CNN reported no comment from Central Command.








