US Naval Air Forces Orders “Safety Pause” For Aircraft After Deadly Southern California Crashes

The U.S. Naval Air Forces Public Affairs announced a one-day “safety pause” for non-deployed aircraft after a series of crashes in Southern California this month led to the deaths of a Navy pilot and five Marines. 

“As a result of recent crashes involving U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, Commander, Naval Air Forces has directed all non-deployed Navy aviation units to conduct a safety pause on June 13 in order to review risk-management practices and conduct training on threat and error-management processes,” the Naval Air Forces said Saturday in a press release. 

It noted that deployed aircraft would undergo safety pauses as soon as possible. 

“In order to maintain the readiness of our force, we must ensure the safety of our people remains one of our top priorities,” Commander Zachary Harrell, the Naval Air Forces public affairs officer, told the LA Times.

In the last ten days, lost aircraft include a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet that crashed on June 3 in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, killing the pilot. 

On Wednesday, a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed near Glamis, California, while on a routine training mission, killing all five Marines on board. The Marines said Saturday the crash is labeled as a “mishap.” 

And on Thursday, a Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter crashed along the Arizona-California border near El Centro, California. All four of the helicopter’s crew members survived with non-life-threatening injuries. 

All three military aircraft crashed within one week of each other in Southern California. 

The string of crashes isn’t a good look for the Naval Air Forces who are actively trying to recruit young Americans to join the service following the release of Tom Cruise’s new patriotic film “Top Gun: Maverick.”