Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II Lost in Mishap
ARLINGTON, Va. — A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft was destroyed in a March 8 mishap.
The aircraft, on assignment from a Marine attack squadron to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162, suffered catastrophic engine failure during takeoff, according to the Naval Safety Center.
The pilot survived, though no details are yet known of how he exited the aircraft.
The location of the mishap has not been announced, but may have occurred during takeoff from the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge in the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations.
★March 8, An AV-8B Harrier, assigned to VMA-162 Det. (Bureau #165003), suffered a Class "A" mishap after experiencing a catastrophic engine failure during takeoff procedure, while the USS Kearsarge was underway in the Arabian Gulf. Firefighters helped the pilot out of the aircraft and extinguished the fire within minutes.