The safety stand-down that has grounded the Navy’s fleet of T-45C Goshawk training jets happened after one of the trainers experienced “a low-pressure compressor blade failure” before takeoff on Oct. 11, officials have confirmed.
Officials said no prior Goshawk mishaps are being attributed to this type of engine blade fault, although a mishap from August remains under investigation.
The Navy initiated the safety stand-down on Oct. 14. Goshawks are used to train Navy and Marine Corps fighter pilots.
“The safety of our service members is a top priority, and we are working with our industry partners toward a swift resolution,” Elizabeth Fahrner, a spokeswoman for the Navy’s Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft Programs, said in an email to Navy Times. “Flight operations will remain paused until we can safely return the T-45 fleet to a flying status.”
T-45s have been flying since 1988, with the C variant entering the fleet in 1997.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
