After three plane crashes in a week that killed six service members, the US Navy paused non-essential flight missions to inspect troops.
“Recent incidents involving naval and marine aircraft caused the commander of the Navy Air Force to order the suspension of all flying operations at all non-deployed units on June 13 to help evaluate the hazard assessment process and boost error management training,” the US Navy announced recently.
At the earliest opportunity, units on duty will cease air operations and undertake a safety assessment. “In order to retain full combat preparedness, we must ensure that the safety of our personnel is one of our top priorities,” the statement stated.
The US Navy took the decision after three incidents in a week.
A pilot was killed when an F/A-18E Super Hornet multi-role fighter jet crashed in the Mojave Desert in southern California on June 3. A US Marines MV-22B hybrid helicopter crashed in Glamis, California, five days later, killing all five crew members.
A US Navy MH-60S helicopter crashed at El Centro base on June 9. All four crew members were rescued, with one of them suffering minor injuries that were not life-threatening.
