The Navy Could Have the Costliest Year of Accidents Ever
The U.S. Navy is on pace to have the most expensive year of mishaps they've ever had, according to Aviation Week's analysis of U.S. Navy Safety Center records. The recent midair collision of two F/A-18F Super Hornets is the most expensive single accident the Navy has had in the past decade, costing about $173.2 million alone. The fatal Blue Angels crash earlier this month cost the Navy another Hornet, an F/A-18C worth roughly $76.5 million.
Right now, the 2014 fiscal year stands as the worst year ever for naval aviation incident costs at about $818.6 million. The 2016 fiscal year is already the fourth most expensive year of U.S. Navy mishaps, with about $581.3 million incurred so far (the fiscal year ends September 30, leaving about 4 months left).
Aviation Week reports that F/A-18Cs have accumulated the most accident costs of all naval aircraft since 2009, totaling about $569.8 million. F/A-18Fs are next at $511.9 million, and F/A-18Es have cost the third most in accidents at an estimated $394.1 million. The Hornet is an expensive jet to lose.
AV-8B Harriers ($379.4 million since 2009), CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters ($331.2 million), and MV-22B Osprey tiltrotors ($304.5 million) are the next three costliest aircraft in terms of incident losses. Ground handling mishaps are the most common type of accident with about 220 since 2009, followed by foreign object debris (FOD) with 113 in the same time and system failure at third with 83. There were, however, 179 mishaps listed as "other," according to Aviation Week.
Since 2009, the Navy has had about 1,400 mishaps that cost about $4.4 billion worth of damage. It makes sense that accident costs will rise over time as the equipment and weapons systems get more expensive. Still, the inability to curtail some of those costs with advancing technology and safety standards is concerning.
Source: Aviation Week
