An F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter assigned to the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan suffered what authorities say was a “mechanical issue” during “routine operations” on Monday over the Philippine Sea, forcing the crew to eject.
A search and rescue MH-60S Seahawk from the “Golden Falcons” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 retrieved the Carrier Air Wing 5 crew, and medical personnel aboard the Reagan pronounced both aviators to be in “good condition,” according to the Japan-based 7th Fleet.
Officials said that the carrier had resumed normal operations and the crash is under investigation.
The F/A-18F is the two-seat variant for the Super Hornet.
The aviators were assigned to the “Diamondbacks” from Strike Fighter Squadron 102, a Navy unit stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, according to Lt. Joe Keiley, a spokesman for the 7th Fleet.
“The aircraft was not recovered,” said Keiley in an email to Navy Times.
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The Ronald Reagan had recently wrapped up the large Keen Sword exercise with the Japan Self-Defense Forces and Canadian forces.
Monday’s mishap marks the second aviation crash involving the Ronald Reagan in less than a month.
On Oct. 18, an MH-60 Seahawk from the “Saberhawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 77 crashed while taking off during morning operations in the Philippine Sea, causing a dozen injuries to personnel working on the carrier’s flight deck.
Ashore, the most recent serious mishap occurred on Nov. 2 at Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Florida. The hangar fire suppression system activated due to an unknown cause and doused five F/A-18C Hornets with chemical agent, according to the Naval Safety Center.
Prine came to Navy Times after stints at the San Diego Union-Tribune and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He served in the Marine Corps and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. His awards include the Joseph Galloway Award for Distinguished Reporting on the military, a first prize from Investigative Reporters & Editors and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
