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The Latest: Jet crashes lead Navy to consider safety stand down

11:30 AM EST on Tuesday, March 30, 2004
WVEC (Channel 13, Hampton Roads)

Reported by: Mike Gooding

Four Navy jets in six days, two based at NAS Oceana, have crashed. Fortunately, no aviator has been lost. All ejected safely.

While no order's been issued, the Navy is considering a safety stand down, which grounds all planes and sets aside one day to focus on the importance of safety.

The value of destroyed aircraft exceeds $160 million.

Monday, 3-29-04:

NAS Atlanta-based F/A-18 Hornet crashed in Tennessee

NAS Oceana-based F-14 Tomcat from VF-31 attached to USS John C. Stennis crashed off Long Beach, California

Friday, 3-26-04:

NAS Oceana-based F/A 18 Hornet crashed during take-off from Raleigh Durham International Airport in N.C.

Wednesday, 3-24-04:

MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina-based F/A-18 Hornet crashes during training

The last time the Navy ordered a stand down was in 2002, when the nosewheel of an Oceana-based F-14 Tomcat collapsed on takeoff from USS John F. Kennedy in the Mediterannean Sea.

Pilot Lt. Cmdr. Christopher M. Blaschum was killed. The radar intercept officer, Lt. j.g. Rafe Wysham, survived.

Every Tomcat in the Navy's inventory was inspected for corroded struts in the nose wheel assembly.

All military branches can call stand downs.

In 1997, then Defense Secretary William Cohen ordered all services to undergo reviews after six military plane crashes killed 16 service members in a one-week period.

End Report

I received this in an email, so don't have a direct link.