F/A-18 Crashes During Training Mission

Navy Newsstand ^ | 2/7/2006 3:30:00 PM | Commander, Naval Air Forces Public Affairs

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

NAVAL AIR STATION KEY WEST, Fla. (NNS) -- A two-seat Navy F/A-18D aircraft from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125, impacted the ocean approximately four miles southeast of the air station during a routine training mission at approximately 5:17 p.m Feb. 6.

The Navy pilot ejected safely and was recovered by Coast Guard search and rescue. The pilot was taken to a local hospital for a thorough physical evaluation.

The cause of the mishap is under investigation.

The name of the aviator is currently being withheld.

VFA-125 flies the Navy’s F/A-18 A, B, C and D model aircraft and is based out of NAS Lemoore, Calif. At the time of the mishap the squadron had been operating out NAS Key West for eight days and was due to return to NAS Lemoore Feb. 10.

[Blueflag]

Double bird strike in both engines? dunno.

Lose BOTH engines? weird.

Ideas?

Glad to hear the PIC was fine.

[A.A. Cunningham]

VFA-125 is the FRS for Marine Corps and Navy Hornet crews.

[spaatzcadet]

Not nessesarily a engine malfunction-, the 18's have two.

As with most aircraft incidents, most likely PIC error.

[Blueflag]

prolly right. The F-18 is an "information intensive" environment for the PIC. Lot to keep track of. Also, flying single seat in a trainer. hmmm. Maybe it was a check ride for a hangar queen.

Dunno. Maybe he just lost the aircraft and had to punch out.

[JRios1968]

Maybe it was a check ride for a hangar queen.

Nope. If you read the whole story, you saw that VFA-125 was visiting Key West for exercises, due to rturn to Lemoore on Friday.

[spaatzcadet]

It was a trainer, so a first solo flight? Any Info?

My first solo was hugly intensive.....

[Lx]

I saw some program on the Hitler channel about carriers and it showed an F-14 pilot who was going to do a supersonic fly-by and when he went by, the engines sounded like they backfired, shooting out sparks and smoke. Next thing you know he's punching out. He was OK but they never explained what caused the loss of the plane.

[IGOTMINE]

The D model isn't a trainer. It's the Marine Corps two-seat attack variant. I don't think there are flight controls in the back seat.

[Blueflag]

yes, but ...

Navy uses the D as a trainer. This was a Navy hop, right?

Indeed the Marines use it as a strike and FAC platform.

I betcha the WSO has a joystick.

For reference: http://www.hqmc.usmc.mil/factfile.nsf/0/7e09ddd6d3f77a398525626e004927b2?OpenDocument

[Blueflag]

Compressor stall sounds like. Or explosive compressor failure. Either way, I hope the crew was OK, and the fly-by was authorized.

[Netheron]

My God! It's hopeless! It's a quagmire! U.S. out of Key West immediately!!

[Lx]

He had permission, everyone was waiting for him to do it.

He survived.