A F/A-18F Super Hornet jet suffered engine damage during a flight last month after striking a bird, Navy officials said Thursday.
The jet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 106 out of Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, experienced the mishap near Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, on March 22, according to Naval Air Forces Atlantic spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Robert Myers.
The aircraft landed safely and neither the pilot nor the weapons systems officer reported any injuries, but the starboard intake and engine were damaged, according to the Naval Safety Center.
At the time of the mishap, the Virginia-based crew was conducting routine training as part of a detachment to the West Coast, Myers said.
The mishap remains under investigation and is currently being classified as a “Class A” mishap, which involves incidents resulting in more than $2.5 million in damage.
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