Two aircraft assigned to the deployed aircraft carrier Carl Vinson suffered so-called “Class A” mishaps last week, but officials said no one was injured, the Navy Times reports.
The first occurred at about 1 p.m. Nov. 22, when the starboard engine on a F/A-18E Super Hornet caught fire in flight during training over the Philippine Sea, according to Lt. Cmdr. Miranda Williams, a Carl Vinson spokeswoman.
Two days later, at about 4:30 a.m. Nov. 24, a dipping sonar system used to hunt submarines “unexpectedly detached” from a cable connecting it to a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter during anti-submarine warfare training, Williams said.
The dipping sonar equipment was lost to the sea and not recovered.
Both incidents are under investigation, Williams said, and both aircraft remain onboard Carl Vinson and are expected to be returned to flight status.
A Class A mishap involves loss of life or more than $2.5 million in damage to an aircraft.
While the Naval Safety Center has deemed both mishaps at the Class A level, such designations are sometimes downgraded following investigations.
Carl Vinson deployed in August to the West Pacific waters of U.S. 7th Fleet and became the first carrier to deploy with the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter.
