The canopy on a Boeing [BA] E/A-18G Growler electronic-attack aircraft was damaged in a “ground mishap” at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state last week, according to the Navy.
The Growler’s pilot and electronic warfare officer sustained undisclosed injuries in the incident and were hospitalized.
“The crew was troubleshooting cabin pressurization issues prior to a scheduled training flight when the canopy failed and was damaged,” said Lt. Leslie Hubbell, a Naval Air Forces spokeswoman.
The Dec. 16 mishap prompted the Navy to temporarily ground its Growlers and its similarly designed F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
The service announced Dec. 19 that Navy and Boeing engineers have identified “several factors that likely contributed to the mishap” and that flying can resume once “mitigation measures” are implemented. Those measures including changes to aircraft water-wash procedures and updates to the Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization (NATOPS) ground emergency procedures.
“Malfunctions in the environmental control system contributed to the mishap,” Hubbell said. “Engineers were able to determine that a combination of washing the aircraft prior to the flight, and freezing temperatures contributed to the mishap.”