The Navy and Marine Corps aviation units are taking a one-day “safety pause” on Monday to review risk-management practices and train “on threat and error-management processes” in the wake of back-to-back fatal flight mishaps in the past two weeks, officials said.
The “safety stand-down” will affect all non-deployed naval aviation community units, according to officials with Commander, Naval Air Forces.
“In order to maintain the readiness of our force, we must ensure the safety of our people remains one of our top priorities,” Navy officials said in a statement.
Navy Lt. Richard Bullock was killed June 3, 2022, when his F/A 18-E Super Hornet jet fighter crashed in a remote, unpopulated area near Trona, California. There were no civilian injuries from the crash, officials said.
Lt. Bullock was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 113 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, and was flying a “routine training mission” before his aircraft went down.
On June 8, 2022, a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey based at Camp Pendleton, California, crashed in the desert about 140 miles east of San Diego.
All five Marines aboard the tilt-rotor aircraft died in the crash. They were identified as Capt. John J. Sax, Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson and Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland.
The next day, a Navy MH-60S Seahawk crashed near El Centro, California, injuring one of four crew members assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 3, based at Naval Air Station North Island, California.
The Navy said they were conducting a “routine training flight” at the time of the crash, which remains under investigation.
Navy and Marine Corps aviation units that are currently deployed will conduct the safety stand-down “at the earliest possible time,” officials said.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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