Thursday, December 31, 2015

Photo Gallery (And Video) Of The U.S. Navy Salvaging A Sunken F/A-18

U.S. Navy

Popular Mechanics: Stunning Pics of the Navy Salvaging a Sunken F/A-18

Well, technically half a Super Hornet.

The Aviationist blog has found a great series of images of the U.S. Navy salvaging one of its own aircraft from the Arabian Sea.

On May 12, 2015 a F/A-18F Super Hornet from the USS Theodore Roosevelt crashed into the Arabian Gulf. The two crewmen ejected and were safely rescued. The Super Hornet and the Roosevelt had been participating in anti-Islamic State operations as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. According to reports at the time, the crash was "not a result of hostile activity." The Navy has apparently ruled out pilot error and settled on mechanical failure, because two months later USNS Catawba, a salvage ship, was hauling the Super Hornet out of the Arabian Sea to find out what went wrong.

Update: Here’s why the U.S. Navy recovered this F/A-18F Super Hornet wreckage from the sea (Aviationist).

WNU Editor: The video of the operation is here.

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