Two aircraft assigned to the deployed aircraft carrier Carl Vinson suffered so-called “Class A” mishaps last week, but officials said no one was injured.

The first occurred at about 1 p.m. Nov. 22, when the starboard engine on a F/A-18E Super Hornet caught fire in flight during training over the Philippine Sea, according to Lt. Cmdr. Miranda Williams, a Carl Vinson spokeswoman.

The jet was able to return to the carrier, she said.

Two days later, at about 4:30 a.m. Nov. 24, a dipping sonar system used to hunt submarines “unexpectedly detached” from a cable connecting it to a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter during anti-submarine warfare training, Williams said.

The dipping sonar equipment was lost to the sea and not recovered.

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Both incidents are under investigation, Williams said, and both aircraft remain onboard Carl Vinson and are expected to be returned to flight status.

A Class A mishap involves loss of life or more than $2.5 million in damage to an aircraft.

While the Naval Safety Center has deemed both mishaps at the Class A level, such designations are sometimes downgraded following investigations.

Carl Vinson deployed in August to the West Pacific waters of U.S. 7th Fleet and became the first carrier to deploy with the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter.

Geoff is a senior staff reporter for Military Times, focusing on the Navy. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was most recently a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.

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