The incident did not happen due to “barbaric fire”, the US military said, while Yemen's Houthis said their attack on the US plane brought down the plane.
The US military has said two US soldiers were shot down in the Red Sea during “friendly fire”.
Yemen's Houthi fighters later on Sunday said they had “targeted” the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier yesterday in an operation that resulted in the “downing of an F-18”.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said both pilots were found alive after ejecting from the plane that was shot down early Sunday morning, with one suffering minor injuries.
This incident “was not due to hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway”, CENTCOM said, adding that the plane had just left the Truman airport.
The Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, waterways vital to international trade. The group is talking about it attack They sympathize with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has been waging an offensive for more than a year, killing more than a dozen 45,000 people.
In a video, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group also launched eight drones and 17 surface-to-air missiles in the attack.
However, CENTCOM said warships and aircraft had earlier shot down several Houthi drones and a missile fired by Yemeni rebels.
Netanyahu has promised revenge against the Houthis
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to retaliate against Houthi rebels after they fired a missile at Tel Aviv, warning that Israel would fight what he described as the last arm of the “axis of evil of Iran”.
The Houthis hit a commercial center in Israel on Saturday with what they said was a ballistic missile, injuring 16 people and forcing many to flee their homes following a pre-dawn attack.
“Just as we acted strongly against the Iranian terrorists, so we will deal with the Houthis … with strength, determination and wisdom,” Netanyahu said in a video.
Saturday's strike in Tel Aviv was the second attack on Israel by the Houthis this week, and one of several since the Gaza conflict began.
US and British forces have repeatedly struck Yemen in response to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Israel has also struck the Houthis, including hitting ports and military bases, after attacking the rebels in its territory.
Israel's latest attack against the Houthis was on Thursday, when Israeli warplanes hit Sanaa for the first time.