The US Navy recently salvaged an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the floor of the Arabian Gulf. The fighter reportedly went down in July.

While the recovery out of nearly 200 feet of water is fascinating, equally interesting is how convinced some sailors were that they already knew why the jet had crashed: 

The aircraft was lost at sea due to mechanical failure.

“This F/A-18 that sunk went down … not due to the pilot … there was a problem with one of the engines,” said Navy Diver 1st Class Brandon Wiggins… “So salvaging this, they’re going to be able to get an inspection on the engine that failed.”

It is true that based on the pilot’s testimony investigators can often form a fairly decent conclusion as to the cause of the mishap. More interesting in this case is the fact the Sailors say the jet was brought down by an engine failure.

It’s a two-engine aircraft (consistent with the Navy’s prejudice against single-engine aircraft, the F-35 notwithstanding). If the very-advanced aircraft went down due to an issue with one engine, the Navy has a serious problem on its hands.

ADVERTISEMENT