T-45 Goshawk trainers on the carrier USS Washington. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Michael E. Wiese)
WASHINGTON — The US Navy said today it is continuing to assess its trainer aircraft fleet nearly a week after one plane had an “in-flight engine malfunction,” prompting the service to pause “all T-45C Goshawk” operations.
The aircraft, assigned to Training Air Wing One, executed a “precautionary landing” in Mississippi on April 12 following the engine malfunction. None of the crew reported injuries and damage to the aircraft is still being assessed.
“Out of an abundance of caution, operations of all T-45C Goshawk aircraft have been paused while [the Chief of Naval Air Training] assesses the fleet’s ability to safely resume flying,” a Navy spokesperson told Breaking Defense today. USNI News first reported the mishap and subsequent grounding.
The T-45 Goshawk is the Navy’s legacy fixed-wing, carrier-capable trainer aircraft, which has been in-service since 1991.
If the service has its way, the fleet will be phased out for a newer jet in the coming years by a to-be-determined contractor. A request for information circulated last year indicated the Navy will look to buy at least 145 new training jets and award a contract for those planes in 2026.
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