--- title: "Two F-18s damaged in consecutive Class A mishaps in Virginia" description: "The back-to-back incidents in November are the latest trouble for the Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet this year." date: "2022-12-11" modified: "2022-12-11" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/f-18s-consecutive-class-a-mishaps/" categories: - "Military Branches" - "Navy" - "News" --- # Two F-18s damaged in consecutive Class A mishaps in Virginia ![]() *A Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet soars above the clouds while conducting flight operations near Atsugi, Japan, Jan. 29, 2020. (Navy photo / Lt. Alex Grammar)* Two U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets based in Virginia were damaged in incidents last month that the Navy is categorizing as “Class A” mishaps. The planes were damaged on consecutive days in November. [Military Times]() first reported on the incidents, which both occurred in November. A spokesperson for Naval Air Force Atlantic confirmed the F-18 troubles to Task & Purpose and said they are being viewed as Class A mishaps but did not provide any more details on what caused them, or the aftermath. A Class A mishap means that damage incurred is greater than $2.5 million or an aircraft was destroyed. [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today**]()**. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily.** The first incident, per Military Times, took place on Nov. 21 at Naval Air Station Oceana. A tire blew during takeoff, causing damage to the F/A-18F Super Hornet’s engine and fuselage. Despite the damage, the pilot was able to land the jet. On Nov. 22, an engine on a F/A-18E caught fire mid-flight, but it was able to safely land at Naval Air Station Oceana. No one was hurt in either instance. The fighter jets were assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 106 and Strike Fighter Squadron 131, respectively. The two incidents are the latest aviation disasters to hit the Navy in 2022, many featuring F-18s. Lt. Richard Bullock died on June 3 after his F/A-18E crashed near Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. That month, the Navy [ordered a temporary halt]() in aviation operations to review safety protocols. “Whenever we have crashes that take place within a relatively short timeline, we take a hard look at those,” Cmdr. Zach Harrell, a spokesman for Naval Air Forces, [said in a statement]() at the time of the June stand down. “If there are any connections that are made as a result of the investigations, then those things will be addressed.” In July, a F/A-18E Super Hornet was [blown off the deck]() of the USS Harry S. Truman and fell into the Mediterranean Sea. That was later recovered on Aug. 3. Both F-18 incidents from November are under investigation, according to the U.S. Navy. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **The king is dead: Why would America want to** **retire the F-22?** - **We salute the Marine Corps vet who** [**chugged a beer from her prosthetic leg**]() **at a Lakers game** - **Combat medic** [**‘voluntold’ to attend Army Best Squad competition**]() **ends up dominating the range** - **Air Force F-35 maintainer shares what it’s like keeping ‘**[**a flying computer**]()**’ ready to fight** - [**Why modern technology hasn’t rendered**]() **trench warfare useless in Ukraine** **Want to write for Task & Purpose?**[ **Click here**]()**. Or check out the latest stories on**[ **our homepage.**]() ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()