The announced Sunday its fleet of T-45 Goshawks will remain grounded for at least a week.
Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander of Naval , announced the decision in a blog on the Live website.
“I will extend the operational pause for at least a week to allow time for our engineers to do a deeper dive into T-45 systems and for leadership to determine additional mitigation measures that will reduce the risks associated with the T-45 oxygen breathing system,” Shoemaker wrote in the blog.
The canceled 94 of 216 scheduled T-45 flights March 31 after instructor pilots raised concerns about increasing physiological episodes caused by contamination of the T-45’s oxygen system.
The T-45 is used to train and Corps strike fighter pilots, including many of those based at Oceana Naval Air Station. The strike fighter training commands are based in Meridian, Miss.; Kingsville, Texas; and Pensacola, Fla.
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