Navy Inquiry Details Rapid Descent into Chaos During Aircraft Carrier Landing Incident
NORFOLK, VA – A recently released Navy investigation report reveals a โsequence of mechanical failures and procedural missteps culminated in a harrowing aircraft carrier landing โคincident on February 29, 2024,โฃ aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower โฃ(CVN-69) in the Atlantic Ocean. the report details how a seemingly routine approach deteriorated within seconds, nearlyโข resulting in a catastrophic loss of aircraft and potentially endangering personnel.
The incident, involving an F/A-18E โSuper Hornet, โขunderscores the inherent risks ofโ carrier operations and highlights theโค critical importance of redundancy in aircraft systems and adherence to established โflight procedures. The findings come as the โNavy continues to grapple with maintaining readiness โคacross its fleet and โaddressing concerns โabout the aging ofโ its โaircraft and โฃequipment. The investigation’s recommendations are expected to prompt a review of carrier โlanding protocols and maintenance procedures fleet-wide.
The report centers on a โฃfailureโฃ of the aircraft’s โangle of attack (AOA) sensor during the final โฃapproach.As the pilot initiated the landing, the faulty sensor transmitted incorrect โขdata to the aircraft’s flight control โคcomputer, causing the system to erroneously command a meaningful pitch-up maneuver. Despite the pilot’s immediate correctiveโ actions, the aircraft rapidly deviated fromโข the glide โslope.
According to the investigation, the pilot, whose name is withheldโ for operational โsecurity reasons, attempted to recover by applying full aft stickโ and increasing engine power.However, the compromised AOA data continued to influence the flight control system,โค hindering the pilot’sโฃ ability to regain control. Simultaneously, the aircraft’s โฃtailhook, essential for arresting the plane on the carrier deck, โคfailed to deploy correctly.
“The confluence of these failures created a rapidly escalating situation,” the report โคstates. “The pilot was faced with a simultaneous loss of flight control authority andโ the inability to safely arrest the aircraft.”
The pilot ultimately executed a bolter – a missedโฃ landing where the aircraft does not catch a wire – and safely โregained altitude before circling for another approach. No injuries where reported, and the aircraft sustained no damage.โ though, the incident โฃtriggered โฃan immediate stand-down of all โขflight operations aboard the Eisenhower while the investigation was underway.
The Navy’s Safety Centerโ conducted the investigation, meticulously reviewing flight data recorder information, maintenance logs, and conducting interviewsโ with the pilot, aircrew, and relevant โฃpersonnel. The โreport โidentified a โpre-existing, but undetected, flaw in the AOAโข sensor as the primary cause of the incident.Contributing factors includedโฃ a lack of procedural emphasis on โrecognizing and โresponding โฃto unreliable AOA data and a delayed inspection ofโฃ the tailhook mechanism.
Following the incident, the Navy issued โaโ fleet-wideโ alertโ regarding the AOA sensor issue and mandated immediate inspections of all similar sensors across its F/A-18 fleet. Additionally, theโค Navy is revising its carrier landing procedures to incorporate enhanced training on recognizingโ and mitigating the effects of faultyโ sensor data. The investigation โconcluded with recommendations for improvedโ maintenance protocols and a renewed focus on crew resource management during carrier operations.