The U.S. Navy has temporarily grounded its T-45C fleet amid concerns about contamination in the cockpit.
The T-45C Goshawk is a single engine, two-seat, carrier-capable jet trainer aircraft. The aircraft is used by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps for intermediate and advanced jet training.
T-45C pilots have raised concerns over "physiological episodes" in the cockpit, apparently caused by contamination of the aircraft's Onboard Oxygen Generation System, the Navy said.
Since then, Chief of Naval Air Training requested engineering experts speak one-on-one with pilots. The briefs were done in Kingsville, Meridian and Pensacola on Monday and Tuesday.
Authorities put a three day operational pause on the aircrafts on Wednesday.
"This issue is my number one safety priority and our team of NAVAIR program managers, engineers and maintenance experts in conjunction with Type Commanders, medical and physiological experts continue to be immersed in this effort working with a sense of urgency to determine all the root causes of PEs along multiple lines of effort," said Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, Commander, Naval Air Forces, in a statement.
Ninety four flights between Naval Air Station Kingsville, Meridian and Pensacola were canceled last Friday due to operation risk management (ORM) concerns raised by pilots.
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The three day operational pause will allow time for the Navy to address concerns raised by the pilots, Naval Base Coronado said in a statement.
"It will also allow time for Naval Aviation leadership to engage with the pilots, hear their concerns and discuss the risk mitigation efforts that are ongoing to correct this issue," the statement read.
Navy officials say they are using "unconstrained resources" to tackle the problem.
Flight operations should resume on Monday, the Navy said.
