A Super Hornet made an emergency landing earlier this month after its right engine caught fire, according to Navy officials and military records.
The Oct. 4 incident involved a F/A-18F flying out of Naval Air Station Lemoore with the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22, according to Naval Air Forces spokesman Cmdr. Ron Flanders.
No injuries were reported and the pilot and weapons system officer safely landed at Lemoore, he said.
Few other details were available this week but Flanders promised that a Navy probe “will seek to determine the cause and give a detailed amount of damages.”
The Navy and Marine Corps suffered six “Class A” aviation mishaps in Fiscal 2018, which ended on Sept. 30, according to Naval Safety Center data.
That was down from a dozen similar mishaps in Fiscal 2017.
Class A mishaps are considered the most severe incidents because they involve a fatality or permanent disabling injury to a crew member or at least $2 million in damage to the aircraft or other property.
The sea service is in the midst of an aggressive plan to restore combat readiness to the air fleet, starting with the Super Hornets.
Flush with cash infusions from Congress, the effort seeks to revamp how the Navy performs jet maintenance and its supply system for parts so that more jets will be ready to fly and fight today.
Leaders say a non-stop operational pace since 9/11, coupled with reduced funding levels, has depleted the force.
The “Fighting Redcocks” returned home from a deployment aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt this spring.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
