After three crashes, two of which were fatal, the U.S. Navy said it would land all unexploded planes in one day on Monday to focus on security protocols.
The plane landed after seven days of crashes in California this month, resulting in six deaths. The day will be used to “review risk management practices and conduct training on threat and error management processes,” the Navy said on Saturday.
“In order to maintain the readiness of our forces, we must ensure that the safety of our people remains one of our top priorities,” the Navy said, adding that the deployed units would also review safety as soon as possible.
On June 3, a Navy pilot was killed after his F / A-18E Super Hornet crashed in a remote uninhabited area near Tron, California, about 170 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The pilot, Lieutenant Richard Bullock, was flying on a training mission, the Navy said.
On June 8, another military plane crashed, killing five US Marines. The Marine Corps said the plane, an MV-22B Osprey belonging to the 3rd Marine Wing, crashed near Glamis, California, more than 150 miles east of San Diego.
The next day, a Navy helicopter crashed near El Centro, California, more than 100 miles east of San Diego. The helicopter, MH-60S Seahawk, also performed a training flight, the Navy said. All four crew members survived. One was taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, the Navy said.
Authorities say they are investigating all three crashes, each of which occurred during routine exercises. So far, there is nothing to do with the crashes, Commander. This was said by Zack Harel, a San Diego-based spokesman for the Navy.
“If there is anything that comes out of the investigation that determines that there is a connection, it will be considered immediately,” he said.
He said there had been safety breaks before, usually after several accidents in a short period of time. The last time the navy downed aircraft for security reasons was in October 2020, said Commander Harel. The grounding followed two crashes, one of which resulted in two deaths.
There have been nine of what the military considers to be the most serious disasters – one causing property damage of $ 2.5 million or more, deaths or permanent total damage – in the Navy and Marines this year, Commander Harel added.
He described the recent catastrophes as “unusual”.
In March, four Marines were killed in Norway during a NATO exercise. They were flying an MV-22B, the same plane that crashed on June 8.
In late March, a small Navy plane, the E-2D Hawkeye, also crashed off the east coast of Virginia, killing one crew member and injuring two others.
On Friday, the U.S. Marine Corps released the names of those killed in the June 8 crash: Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21; cap. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31; cap. Seth D. Rasmusson, 21; Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19; and Captain John J. Sachs, 33, son of Steve Sachs, former Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player.
Mr Sachs said on Instagram that his son likes to be a Marine. “He loved to serve this country,” Mr Sachs wrote. “He is and always will be my hero.”
Luke Vander Ploeg contributed to the report.
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