STRING OF MARINE AND NAVY AIR ACCIDENTS SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
December 10, 2022 ·Carl Prine
A string of air accidents tied to US Navy and Marine Corps squadrons in Virginia and South Carolina remains shrouded in mystery, with officials offering few details about the very expensive mishaps.
On March 3, a Marine two-seat F/A-18D Hornet crashed shortly after takeoff, with both crewmembers ejecting safely near Lobeco, South Carolina, according to a brief description of the accident posted by Naval Safety Command.
The safety center marked it as a non-fatal Class A mishap, which means the aircraft sustained at least $2.5 million in damage.
The Coosaw River divides Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort from Lobeco.
And although local media reported that a Hornet assigned to the “Hawks” of Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533 went down around 3:15 p.m. that day near Halfmoon Island on ex-Gov. Mark Sanford’s Coosaw Plantation, it remains unclear what happened to the military’s promised probe into what caused the crash.
https://www.coffeeordie.com/navy-marine-air-accidents
