Navy resumes operations of grounded T-45C Goshawk trainer jets

The Navy has lifted an operational pause on its T-45C Goshawk jet trainer fleet following an engine malfunction that led to a precautionary grounding, this incident marked the third such pause for the fleet since October 2022, highlighting ongoing safety and maintenance concerns.

The Navy has ended the operational pause on its T-45C Goshawk jet trainer fleet, which had been grounded since July 10 due to an engine malfunction, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

This pause was the second this year and the third since October 2022, according to Navy Times.

The most recent grounding followed an incident in which a T-45C Goshawk from Training Air Wing 2 experienced an in-flight engine malfunction during takeoff from Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Texas. The aircraft conducted a precautionary emergency landing at Meacham Airport, Fort Worth.

"The pilot reported no injuries following the incident," the Naval Air Training command stated. "Damage to the aircraft engine was found during ground inspection; however, the extent of the damage is currently under investigation."

CNATRA is spearheading the investigation, with Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) also conducting an engineering investigation.

"Initially, all T-45C Goshawk aircraft entered an operational pause on July 10 while CNATRA, Naval Air Forces, and NAVAIR assessed the fleet’s ability to safely resume flying,” CNATRA officials stated. “Since then, Navy stakeholders and industry teammates have determined that a portion of the fleet is capable of returning to flight, and NAVAIR has validated that recommendation."

Serviceable aircraft returned to flight on July 24, while NAVAIR continues to assess the status of the remaining aircraft, according to CNATRA. Although the investigation is ongoing, CNATRA officials declined to "speculate on any potential relationship" between this mishap and previous ones.

In October 2022, the Navy paused operations for the T-45 fleet to review an engine blade fault, and operations resumed less than three weeks later.

The Navy also paused operations for the Goshawk fleet in April following an "engine blade failure due to a manufacturing defect on a low-pressure compressor blade," CNATRA reported.

These incidents are classified as Class A mishaps, which the Navy defines as events involving death, $2.5 million or more in damages, or the destruction of an aircraft.

The Navy and Marine Corps utilize the T-45 for pilot training programs focused on jet carrier aviation and tactical strike missions. The T-45C variant was first introduced to the fleet in 1997.