This Fighter Jet Had an Accident in Puerto Rico Months Before Being Retired
“Urgency is necessary to prevent fuel leaks and other damage to the surrounding area,” reads the document.
The AV-8B Harrier II fighter jet officially flew off into sunset this week after more than 40 years of use by the US Marine Corps. One of the last things it did was get into an accident in Puerto Rico.
On Wednesday, at a ceremony in North Carolina, the Marines said goodbye to the “jump jet,” a nickname it earned because of its ability to take off and land vertically or with only a short runway, first entered service in 1985. Because it could sortie without needing a proper runway, Marines could position it close to the frontline of a conflict, “reducing response times and increasing the effectiveness of close air support missions,” per The War Zone. It saw combat in Iraq, Yugoslavia, Libya and most recently in the Caribbean as part of Operation Southern Spear.
That last bit is the most important thing for this blog.
A little over two months before the Marines said goodbye, a Harrier suffered an “aircraft mishap” at the once-dormant Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, according to a procurement document that has not been previously reported. “Mishap” is the word that the military uses for any type of unplanned event that results in property damage or injury that was caused by Department of Defense activity.
Although the cause of the incident is unclear, “time is of the utmost importance to prevent serious injury to the Government by mitigating potential effects from property damage, hazardous materials, and media attention,” per the records. The possible contamination from the accident could pose adverse health, environmental or mission impacts, the document read.
“Urgency is necessary to prevent fuel leaks and other damage to the surrounding area,” according to the document.
