Military Plane Makes Emergency Landing
A military aircraft made an emergency landing Tuesday night after the plane’s engine stalled when it sucked in birds, said officials at Point Mugu’s Naval Air Station.
A three-member crew on the E2-C Hawkeye was performing a night training session and circled the air station’s runway about 10 p.m. when the incident occurred, said Cora Fields, air station spokeswoman. The aircraft immediately lost altitude and the pilots were forced to land on the plane’s belly on the runway before skidding into a patch of grass.
Despite major damage sustained by the $70-million aircraft, the Hawkeye’s crew suffered only minor injuries, Fields said. It will be up to a Navy panel to determine if the plane, used for radar surveillance, can be flown again, but Fields said it seemed doubtful.
“We feel extremely blessed and fortunate that they were all able to walk away,” Fields said.
All three crew members were taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, where they were treated and released.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
