How Safe Was U.S. Military Aviation in 2023?

The U.S. military’s flight safety performance in fiscal year 2023, which ran from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023, was mixed, with some improvements and some challenges. In this blog post, we will analyze the data from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as the Naval Safety Center and the Air Force Safety Center, to see how each service fared in terms of aircraft mishaps, fatalities, and costs.

U.S. Air Force: Highest Mishap Rate in Five Years

The U.S. Air Force had its highest rate of serious aircraft mishaps over the past five years, with 1.34 Class A mishaps per 100,000 flight hours. A Class A mishap is defined as one that causes death, permanent disability, or at least $2.5 million in damage. The U.S. Air Force had 11 destroyed aircraft and 12 fatalities in 2023, which are lower than the previous four years, but still higher than the Navy and Marine Corps.

The main reason for the high mishap rate was a rise in engine-related incidents, which accounted for 40% of all Class A mishaps in 2023. The U.S. Air Force experienced several high-cost engine incidents, such as:

• An F-35A that suffered an engine fire during takeoff in April, causing $25 million in damage.
• A C-17 that experienced an engine failure and a fire in the landing gear in June, causing $7.5 million in damage.
• A C-17 that ingested a bird into one of its engines in August, causing $12.9 million in damage.

The U.S. Air Force is working to address the engine issues, such as by improving maintenance, training, and inspection procedures. The U.S. Air Force also plans to invest more in modernizing its aging aircraft fleet, which has an average age of 28 years.

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps: Similar Mishap Rates as Previous Year

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps had similar mishap rates as the previous year, with 0.87 and 1.97 Class A mishaps per 100,000 flight hours, respectively. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps had fewer destroyed aircraft and fatalities than the U.S. Air Force, with six and four, respectively.

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps faced some challenges in 2023, such as:

• A T-45C that crashed in Texas in January, killing both pilots.
• An F/A-18E that crashed in California in July, killing the pilot.
• An MV-22B that crashed in North Carolina in September, injuring three crew members.

Conclusion: A Mixed Picture of U.S. Military Flight Safety

The U.S. military’s flight safety performance in 2023 was mixed, with some improvements and some challenges. The U.S. Air Force had the highest mishap rate in five years, mainly due to engine issues. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps had similar mishap rates as the previous year, with fewer losses than the U.S. Air Force. The U.S. military is working to enhance its flight safety, such as by modernizing its aircraft, improving its procedures, and investing in new technologies.