Tag Archives: F/A-18A/D Hornet

Marine Corps Finds 2018 Crash Investigation Had Flaws, Proposes New Safety Measures

Marine Corps Finds 2018 Crash Investigation Had Flaws, Proposes New Safety Measures

(From top left, clockwise) Lt. Col. Kevin R. Herrmann, Maj. James M. Brophy, Staff Sgt. Maximo A. Flores, Cpl. Daniel E. Baker and Cpl. William C. Ross

A review of two previous Marine Corps aviation mishaps and their subsequent command investigations concludes that “organizational culture and command climate” contributed to both a 2016 and 2018 mishap within 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Japan – and it adds that some conclusions made by the chain of command regarding the fatal 2018 crash were inaccurate or misleading. Read More

Navy Clear on Causes of Physiological Events in Pilots; Final Recommendations Released for PE Mitigation

Navy Clear on Causes of Physiological Events in Pilots; Final Recommendations Released for PE Mitigation

Lt. Joshua Chester, a Navy pilot from Lorton, Virginia, poses in front of an F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to the “Sunliners” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81 on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) in the Atlantic Ocean. US Navy Photo

The Navy now understands what has been causing physiological events in aviators – which spiked so sharply in 2017 that flight instructors refused to get into their jets to train new student pilots – with a recently completed root cause analysis pointing to a complex relationship between aircrew, their flight gear and their aircraft. Read More

Marines: Lack of Training, Command Problems Contributed to Fatal 2018 Crash off Japan

Marines: Lack of Training, Command Problems Contributed to Fatal 2018 Crash off Japan

(From top left, clockwise) Lt. Col. Kevin R. Herrmann, Maj. James M. Brophy, Staff Sgt. Maximo A. Flores, Cpl. Daniel E. Baker and Cpl. William C. Ross

The Marine Corps found that pilot error, inadequate oversight of training and operations and an unprofessional command climate contributed to the Dec. 6 crash of an F/A-18D Hornet and a KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft that killed six Marines and injured one. Read More

Marines Identify Remains Recovered from KC-130J Salvage Operation

Marines Identify Remains Recovered from KC-130J Salvage Operation

A U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152 conducts Assault Landing Zone landings during Exercise Kodiak Mace at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 31, 2019. US Marine Corps photo.

The Marine Corps has identified the remains of three Marines recovered during a recent salvage operation to retrieve a KC-130J that crashed in December during a refueling mishap off of Japan. Read More

Navy Taking Major Steps to Prevent Future Physiological Events in Jets

Navy Taking Major Steps to Prevent Future Physiological Events in Jets

Capt. Jeffrey Anderson, commander, Carrier Air Wing Three, performs pre-flight checks inside the cockpit of an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the Sidewinders of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86 on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) in 2016. US Navy Photo

ARLINGTON, Va. – With the Navy ruling out contaminated air and focusing on air pressure fluctuations as the cause of many physiological events (PEs), the service is planning a major maintenance event on its jets to try to curb PE rates. Read More

Navy’s Last F-18 Hornet Squadron Sundowns Ahead of Transition to Super Hornet

Navy’s Last F-18 Hornet Squadron Sundowns Ahead of Transition to Super Hornet

A Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron 34 aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) prepares to launch during the Rim of the Pacific 2018 exercise. VFA-34’s planes were painted to honor the squadron’s history ahead of its transition to the Super Hornet. USNI News photo.

The Navy held a sundown ceremony on Friday for its last operational F-18 Hornet squadron, with the “Blue Blasters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 34 taking their last flight over Naval Air Station Oceana before transitioning to newer jets. Read More

Marine Corps Ends Search and Rescue in Japan, Declares 5 Marines Deceased

Marine Corps Ends Search and Rescue in Japan, Declares 5 Marines Deceased

Marines pilot a KC-130J Hercules from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152), over Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 17, 2018. US Navy Photo

This post has been updated to include names of four Marines whose families have identified them as being among the KC-130J crew.

The Marine Corps has ended the search for the five Marines still missing from last week’s KC-130J crash with an F/A-18D Hornet, and those five Marines have been declared dead. Read More

Marines Identify Hornet Pilot Who Died After Crash with KC-130J off Japan; 5 Marines Still Missing

Marines Identify Hornet Pilot Who Died After Crash with KC-130J off Japan; 5 Marines Still Missing

Marines with the Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Bats Squadron 242 (VMFA (AW)-242 Bats), Marine Air Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing before taking off in the F/A-18D Hornet at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan on Nov. 21, 2018. US Marine Corps Photo

The Marines have identified the F/A-18D Hornet pilot who died in a hospital after a crash with a KC-130J off the coast of Japan. Read More

UPDATED: 5 Marines Still Missing Following F-18 Hornet, KC-130J Crash; Second Recovered Marine Dies in Hospital

UPDATED: 5 Marines Still Missing Following F-18 Hornet, KC-130J Crash; Second Recovered Marine Dies in Hospital

Marines with the Joint Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, prepare for take-off aboard a KC-130J Hercules aircraft on Kadena Air Force Base on Sept. 27, 2018. US Marine Corps Photo

A Marine recovered from a crash between a Marine F-18D Hornet Fighter and a KC-130J transport aircraft off the coast of Japan has died in the hospital, according to a statement from the service. Read More