According to a report by Fox News on the 26th, as a response to the two recent crashes, the US Navy ordered all undeployed aviation units to enter a “rest period.” U.S. Naval Aviation Commander and Vice Admiral Kenneth Whitesell said the focus of the suspension will be on improving safety measures.
The U.S. Navy said in a statement, “This’period of rest’ provides an opportunity for our aviation command to focus on how to further improve the operational risk management of the entire naval aviation force and mitigate risks.”
Earlier on October 23, a U.S. Navy T-6B aircraft crashed in Foley, Alabama, killing two crew members on board. According to the US Navy, the aircraft is “a two-seater turboprop trainer used to train navy and marine corps pilots.” When the accident happened, the trainer crashed into a house and two cars, but no civilians were injured.
On October 20, an American F/A-18 “Super Hornet” fighter jet crashed near the “China Lake” Naval Aviation Weapon Station in California during flight training. The pilot ejected safely and escaped.
A few days before the crash of the “Super Hornet”, the US Naval Safety Center had stated that in the past century, the US Navy and Marine Corps had not had a single aviation-related fatal accident during the entire fiscal year.
US Naval Security Center Commander Luchtman said in a press release at the time, “After 98 years of recorded aviation history, this unprecedented milestone bears witness to the relentless commitment of the US Naval Aviation to cultivate an excellent safety culture.”
According to the report, it is unclear how long this “rest period” will last, but the causes of the two accidents are under investigation. The U.S. Navy stated, “We are still the world’s most powerful aviation force and are committed to learning from these incidents to avoid similar tragedies in the future.”
