By Mike Hixenbaugh The Virginian-Pilot January 15, 2015 <\/p>\n
Several thousand feet abovethe Atlantic Ocean, a year ago today: Two Navy fighter jets banked toward each other at more than 400 mph. <\/p>\n
The roaring F\/A-18 Super Hornets converged, crossing within 1,000 feet before zooming back into formation and preparing to do it again. <\/p>\n
The aerial sparring - intended to simulate a high-stakes combat engagement with an enemy fighter - is typical off the coast of Virginia Beach, where pilots from Oceana Naval Air Station regularly practice basic flight maneuvers. <\/p>\n
But on this day, Jan. 15, 2014, something was about to go terribly wrong. The investigation that followed revealed shortcomings in pilot training, and it serves as a cautionary tale for novice fighter pilots still learning how to keep their bearings while twisting and turning through the sky at the speed of sound. <\/p>\n
After their third round that morning, the two pilots from Strike Fighter Squadron 143 leveled off and prepared for one more drill. <\/p>\n
In one of the jets, a young pilot was flying his first training mission since becoming qualified to use a special helmet that projects key flight data - such as air speed, altitude, target range - onto his visor. <\/p>\n
The pilot, investigators learned later, hadn't gone through a recommended computer-based course before being cleared to fly with the visor-mounted display. In fact, the investigator discovered, out of 17 squadrons based at Oceana, none reported requiring pilots to complete the course; only one squadron was even aware it existed. <\/p>\n
Out the left side of his cockpit, the pilot could see the other jet flying on a parallel course about 2 miles away. That pilot, a more experienced aviator, called out a signal, and the two jets again turned in toward each other. <\/p>\n
The younger pilot pushed the throttle to maximum power and angled his jet down as he entered a left-hand turn at 12,000 feet above sea level. He began the turn at more than 400 mph, well above the recommended speed for an extreme nose-down maneuver. <\/p>\n
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Navy report: 2014 Super Hornet crash was preventable<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Mike Hixenbaugh The Virginian-Pilot January 15, 2015 Several thousand feet abovethe Atlantic Ocean, a year ago today: Two Navy fighter jets banked toward each other at more than 400 mph. The roaring F\/A-18 Super Hornets converged, crossing within 1,000 feet before zooming back into formation and preparing to do it again. The aerial sparring - intended to simulate a high-stakes combat engagement with an enemy fighter - is typical off the coast of Virginia Beach, where pilots from Oceana Naval Air Station regularly practice basic flight maneuvers Continue reading