“The EPDM “button” material degraded after being exposed to hydraulic fluid causing a blockage in the hydraulic system resulting in a “hydraulic lock” condition, causing the flight control system from the subject helicopter to become uncontrollable, unresponsive and/or inoperative leading to the crash."
Lt. Col. John “Matt” Kincade, 47, an instructor pilot assigned to the 5th Flying Training Squadron and 2nd Lt. Travis B. Wilkie, 23, a student pilot assigned to the 71st Student Squadron, were killed during a T-38C Talon training mission, according to a release from the Air Force.
Before 2019, the Corps failed to complete an investigation into a 2016 mid-air collision involving a refueling tanker and Hornet that was strikingly similar to the deadly 2018 crash that took the lives of six Marines.
Noncombat-related Marine and Navy tactical military vehicle accidents and rollovers are at a ten year low, and those mishaps also appear to be on a general decline, according to data provided by the Navy Safety Center.